Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has stated he wants Reform to get "absolutely pumped" in next month's Holyrood election, as he again dismissed allegations that he approached Lord Malcolm Offord with a proposal to collaborate against the SNP.
Speaking on BBC's Question Time on Thursday, Mr Sarwar labelled the suggestion that he would strike a deal with a party that spent thousands on adverts questioning his loyalty to Scotland as "nonsense."
He highlighted that many families across Scotland fear Reform's politics and urged voters to "utterly reject" the party on May 7.
"There are lots of families right now that are fearful of the prospect of Reform politics and Reform being anywhere near politics," Mr Sarwar said. "Let me ask you Scotland to utterly reject Lord Malcolm Offord and Reform on May 7."
Lord Offord previously claimed Mr Sarwar approached him during an earlier episode of Question Time filmed at Paisley Town Hall. Responding to host Fiona Bruce's query, Mr Sarwar said: "The idea that a Question Time green room, with six political parties, all the Question Time staff, is the place to have secret talks with Lord Malcolm Offord, who spent tens of thousands of pounds, his party, targeting me, saying I'm not even loyal to my own country Scotland, is utter nonsense."
He added: "Let's make it really clear, I want Reform to get absolutely pumped in this election."
Lord Offord, seated next to Mr Sarwar on the panel, reiterated his claim. He described how, after Mr Sarwar had lambasted him on the show, Mr Sarwar approached him and said, "Well, you're going to do very well in the election. We need to work together to beat the SNP."
Mr Sarwar retorted: "I want you to get hammered. I want you to get utterly hammered."
The programme also covered topics such as taxpayer value from local and national government and further fossil fuel drilling in the North Sea. SNP housing minister Mairi McAllan argued that decisions should be "led by evidence" and considered on a "case-by-case basis," adding that drilling should proceed if it is both climate-compatible and necessary for energy security.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay criticised John Swinney for not appearing on the show, accusing him of avoiding accountability. He emphasised the need for energy security, advocating for drilling in the North Sea, supporting renewables, and backing new nuclear power.
Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay disputed the compatibility of more drilling with climate and energy security, urging a focus on the renewable transition. She noted that funding for the transition should have been provided earlier to save jobs in Aberdeen and Grangemouth.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton called for environmental assessments on new drilling and highlighted the need to ease the transition for oil and gas workers moving into renewables, criticising the current government for not facilitating the change.
