Senior SNP MP says Reform UK advert targeting Anas Sarwar is ‘racist’

A senior SNP MP has described a Reform UK social media advert featuring Anas Sarwar as “racist”.

Pete Wishart, the long-serving Scottish National Party MP for Perth and Kinross-shire, raised the advert in House of Commons business questions on Thursday.

He said an online video, promoted by Reform UK ahead of a Holyrood by-election, has been “selectively edited to question the identity and loyalty of the Scottish Labour leader.”

Wishart added: “Now we may profoundly disagree with Anas Sarwar on a range of issues, but he is a proud Scot who always attempts to put the interests of his country first in Scotland.

“We are united against this sort of gutter politics.”

In a statement seen by BBC News, Reform said the party was simply “advertising Sarwar’s own words”.

A spokesperson added: “If he doesn’t like them, he shouldn’t use them.

“We know Scottish Labour is ashamed of Keir Starmer’s rhetoric, but it appears now they’re also trying to hide from Anas Sarwar’s record – we’ll be happy in helping them by highlighting his record at every turn.”

Responding to Wishart’s question, leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell said: “Can I really thank the honourable gentleman for for the way in which he asked that question and for putting on the record his disgust… at the way in which people do warp what other people say and edit things together to give a different impression of their values and of their opinions, as sounds like is the case against Anas Sarwar.”

She added: “I hope that the Reform party have heard his question today and take down the video that he describes.”

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