Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has accused First Minister John Swinney of exploiting Reform UK’s “race baiting” attack to score political points against him, saying he finds it “harder to stomach” than the original advert. Last year, a Reform advert attacked Mr Sarwar, accusing him of prioritising Pakistani people, after he called for more representation from south Asian communities.
Speaking to the Press Association on Friday, Mr Sarwar said: “Do I think Reform will try and do race baiting in this election campaign? Yes they will, but I expect that from them. That is who they are, and that’s why Scotland, I’m confident, will reject them. What I find harder to stomach is why someone like John Swinney and the SNP would use the race baiting of the Reform Party and use it as a way to attack me.”
Thomas Kerr, a senior Reform figure and Holyrood candidate, said he could not rule out re-airing the advert. The advert was condemned as “racist” by both Mr Sarwar and Mr Swinney. However, Mr Sarwar claimed the SNP leader used it to claim Labour would make a deal with Reform, thereby weaponising the attack. “I think that’s beneath John Swinney and I think that’s beneath the SNP,” he said.
Mr Sarwar urged a debate on policy issues such as the NHS and economic opportunities, rather than “the politics of fear and blame”. He stopped short of equating the SNP and Reform’s politics, but argued both play the same “politics of fear and blame”.
A spokesperson for the SNP responded: “The billboard was an utter disgrace and has no place in Scottish politics. That is exactly why Anas Sarwar must confirm he won’t rely on the votes of Reform to force his way into Bute House. Anas Sarwar’s issue is not with the SNP, his issue is with his own party who have briefed out that the Scottish Labour Party is plotting exactly that.”
