Reform ‘can’t win’ Hamilton and SNP do not deserve to, Sarwar says

Reform UK “can’t win” the Hamilton by-election and the SNP do not deserve to, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said.

In an open letter to voters in the Daily Record, the party leader rejected claims that Thursday’s vote will come down to the parties led by John Swinney and Nigel Farage, claiming Labour was in a “two-horse race” with the SNP.

The claim had come in a similar letter in the same newspaper this week, where the First Minister said the race was a “straight contest” between his party and Reform, accusing Mr Farage of being a “clear and present danger to our country”.

“Reform’s poison won’t win here,” the Scottish Labour leader wrote.

“The SNP deserve to lose.”

He added: “Don’t believe the spin and the nonsense of John Swinney – this by-election is a two-horse race between Scottish Labour and the SNP.”

After the June 5 vote was called following the death of Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie in March, Labour and the SNP were the frontrunners, but the surge from Reform in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse seat has propelled the party into the mix.

Accusing the SNP leader of using Reform as a “mask for his failure”, Mr Sarwar criticised the tactics of Mr Farage’s party.

A Facebook ad from the party showing a speech given by Mr Sarwar encouraging more people of Pakistani origin into politics has been roundly criticised.

Mr Sarwar said: “Throughout this by-election campaign, Reform have tried every dirty trick in the book to drive a wedge to divide this community – but I know you will see right through it.

“They know they can’t win – they don’t care about beating the SNP, all they care about is getting attention.

“Nigel Farage is a poisonous, pathetic and toxic little man that doesn’t understand this community or our country.

“He and his cronies in Reform have spent thousands of pounds spreading bile, misinformation and racial slurs.

“Scotland is my home. I was born here.”

The Scottish Labour leader also touted his party’s candidate Davy Russell, who has himself been criticised for a perceived lack of appearances in the media.

Mr Russell, he said, is the only candidate in the race who can “beat the SNP”.