Reform MSP called party’s Scottish leader ‘useless’, says Anas Sarwar

Anas Sarwar has claimed Reform’s only MSP called the party’s Scottish leader “useless” and “terrible”.

The Scottish Labour leader said Graham Simpson also called Thomas Kerr, one of the party’s top Holyrood candidates, a “weasel”.

Speaking to reporters in Dundee, Mr Sarwar said Mr Simpson, a Tory who defected to Reform near the end of the last Scottish Parliament term, approached him at Holyrood and asked for his number, which he refused.

Earlier, Mr Sarwar said Mr Simpson, who was the party’s only MSP before Parliament was dissolved, was “very apologetic” about the “racist” attack ad his party ran against him. The ad claimed Mr Sarwar would prioritise the Pakistani community in Scotland.

Mr Simpson has strenuously denied the accusations, telling the Press Association they are “preposterous” and calling Mr Sarwar “desperate”.

Mr Simpson told the Press Association he had a good relationship with Mr Sarwar until Monday and denied his accusations.

“I don’t know why he is making this stuff up,” he said. “He needs to admit it was his idea to work together after the election to kick the SNP out.”

He added: “I think he has lost the plot. I thought last week he had lost the plot and he’s proved it today.

“Scottish Labour needs to decide if a guy making stuff up is fit to be their leader.”

In a series of new claims of his own, he said Mr Sarwar approached him three times at Holyrood and said Reform and Labour should work together to beat the SNP.

The claims are the latest in a series of accusations between the parties.

Earlier this month, Reform UK Scotland leader Lord Malcolm Offord claimed Mr Sarwar had “bounced up” to him at an event in Paisley and offered to work with Reform to remove the SNP – something the Scottish Labour leader denies.

The pair have been locked in a dispute since, with both calling the other a liar. The SNP has claimed it proves Mr Sarwar is in “cahoots” with Nigel Farage.

Mr Kerr, one of Reform’s Glasgow candidates, claimed Mr Sarwar spoke to him at a Remembrance Sunday event and said the two parties had to “shadow box” in the election campaign before working together in Parliament.

Speaking to journalists at the STUC conference on Monday, Mr Sarwar said Reform was “not a serious political organisation”.

He said: “They’re fighting like ferrets in a sack. You’ve already seen this morning a candidate saying that Nigel Farage is deplorable and then a swear word about them all that I can’t repeat, although I’m sure you can read it yourself.

“We all know they’re not getting on well with each other. We know that Malcolm Offord can’t stand some of them. We know that Thomas can’t stand some of them.

“We know that Graham Simpson, for example, says himself that Malcolm Offord is a useless leader, he’s terrible, very apologetic about the racist ads they’re running against me. He says that Thomas Kerr is a weasel.

“In the last couple of weeks, he tried to get my phone number and I refused to give them it, because I want nothing to do with these people.”

Mr Sarwar said the party was “deplorable” and he wanted it to be “hammered” in May.

Speaking to PA, the Scottish Labour leader – whose party is battling Reform for second place in the polls – promised that his MSPs would not vote for any other party leader to become first minister.

He also pledged his party would not do a deal with any other party to get into power, but admitted a minority Scottish government, as he predicts the election will bring, would have to find a way to pass legislation, including the budget.

The SNP has previously relied on Tory, Liberal Democrat and Green votes to pass their budgets.

Asked if a Labour administration could rely on Reform votes to pass its budget, he told PA: “No deals, no pacts, no interest, no discussions with Reform.

“I want them to get hammered in this election and I’m confident they will be.”

Mr Kerr described Mr Sarwar as “desperate” and said he had been “called a lot worse” at school.

A Reform spokesperson said: ‘Complete and utter nonsense and another desperate smear from Anas Sarwar which has taken him the best part of a week to concoct.

“Labour’s own record of division and failure speaks for itself. We are united behind delivering for the Scottish people and will not be distracted by these childish tactics.”