Nigel Farage accused of 'pathetic and poisonous' words in Labour attack ad row

Nigel Farage has been accused of using “pathetic and poisonous” words as he sought to defend a political attack ad accused of being “blatantly racist”.

The Reform UK leader accused Sarwar of introducing “sectarianism into Scottish politics” at a party press conference on Tuesday morning.

The comments came days after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar accused a Reform attack ad of “blatant racism” and of questioning his “identity, loyalty and belonging”.

The ad, which started running on social media ahead of the by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, claimed that Sarwar will “prioritise the Pakistani community”.

“Chancers and poisonous individuals like Nigel Farage want to play on people’s fears and divide communities rather than deliver hope and change,” Sarwar told STV News on Tuesday.

“I’m fighting to create better Scotland and change Scotland, while he wants to divide us.”

The Reform attack ad shows Sarwar delivering a speech in 2022, where he urged more people from Pakistani and South Asian backgrounds to get involved in politics.

Asked about the video’s claim that Sarwar will “prioritise” the Pakistani community, Reform’s Hamilton by-election candidate Ross Lambie admitted on Tuesday “that’s a quote from us”.

However, the row between Farage and Sarwar reignited on Tuesday when the Reform leader accused Sarwar of introducing “sectarianism into Scottish politics”.

Responding to the comments, Sarwar said: “These are pathetic and poisonous words.

“I’ve campaigned against sectarianism all my adult life,” the Labour leader said.

“This is poisonous rhetoric from Nigel Farage and the Reform party because they want to sow seeds of division, and bring fear into our communities rather than pull our communities together.”

Sarwar defended the comments he made in his 2022 speech, saying he wants “people of all faiths and backgrounds to engage in our politics and play an active part”.

“Let’s be clear, Nigel Farage is not on the side of working people or working class communities, he’s not on the side of Scotland,” Sarwar told STV News.

“This is the man who wants to privatise our NHS and who was on the gravy train of Brussels while I was working in our NHS, and who will say and do anything to divide our country and try to get votes.

“This is a man that doesn’t understand Scotland, doesn’t care about Scotland, and frankly I think Scotland will reject him.”

Farage played the clips at a press conference on Tuesday and defended his party’s attack ad.

“So it was Anas Sarwar that introduced sectarianism into Scottish politics,” the Reform leader said, “Making it perfectly clear his priority was to a certain section of the community.

“All we’ve done, all we’ve done is to put out the exact words spoken by him without any comment, we’ve said nothing, just that we will represent the people of that constituency.

He added: “And the fact that they, having chosen to go down the sectarian route, choose to throw accusations back at us, says to me that we are winning.”

Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said her SNP Government is focusing on things that “actually make an impact on people”, like mitigating the two child benefit cap, and “leave name calling to Nigel Farage”.

Asked whether or not she thought Reform’s attack add was racist, Somerville said: “I think what Nigel Farage intends to do – as he does every day – is be exceptionally divisive.”

She added: “The really, really lamentable video put up about Anas Sarwar utterly misconstruing anything he’s ever said in the past points to deeply divisive politics. It doesn’t do anyone any favours.”