Sturgeon calls ex-Britain First deputy ‘racist’ in clash

Nicola Sturgeon has called the former deputy leader of Britain First a “racist” after she accused the SNP leader of “flooding” the country with immigrants.

Jayda Fransen, who is standing as an independent in Glasgow Southside, the same constituency contested by Sturgeon, confronted the her on Thursday outside what appeared to be a polling station, according to footage posted online.

Fransen, who has convictions for religiously aggravated harassment, tells Sturgeon: “What are you sorry for? Mass immigration, Marxism?

“I’m not a fascist. I’ve been on the ground speaking to locals who say you are an absolute disgrace…”

Jayda Fransen confronted Nicola Sturgeon in Glasgow (Gareth Fuller/PA) PA Wire

Sturgeon said: “We’ll see what the locals’ view is later on.”

Fransen said: “The locals, what the ones you have flooded from other countries?

“The decent people of Scotland don’t want it flooded with immigrants.”

Sturgeon tells her: “You are a fascist, you are a racist and the southside of Glasgow will reject you.”

The SNP leader then walks away with party members as Fransen pursues her, talking about “mass immigration” and “Marxism”.

Responding to footage of the incident on Twitter, Sturgeon later wrote: “Glasgow Southside is the most diverse and multi-cultural constituency in Scotland – one of the many things that makes it so brilliant.

“I am confident it will unite today to utterly reject these fascists.”

Fransen later tells an SNP supporter who asks her who she is: “I’m not fascist, just a normal, decent unionist patriot.

“My grandfather fought the Nazis.”

In a piece to camera uploaded by the British Freedom Party, she accuses Sturgeon of “running away like a coward”, adding: “Of course if you flood a constituency with foreigners and hardline republicans who absolutely hate Britain, hate the union, they are going to secure their votes.

“The unionist community are no longer unrepresented and we are coming for you.”

Fransen has previously been pictured outside the constituency office of justice secretary Humza Yousaf holding a sign saying “it’s okay to be white” and has said she is running against the “SNP commie, Marxists, naughty people”.

She has previously been convicted of a number of religiously aggravated crimes, including harassment in both 2016 and 2018 – the latter of which saw her sentenced to 36 weeks in prison.

Although a member of the British Freedom Party, documents from Glasgow City Council show Fransen is running as an independent.