Watch: Rayner ‘runs away' from pro-Palestinian protesters
Angela Rayner was forced to abandon a by-election campaign visit in Scotland because of pro-Palestinian protesters.
The Deputy Prime Minister was accused of 'doing a runner' from a visit in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, where pro-Gaza demonstrators shouted 'Rayner, Rayner, you can't hide – you're supporting genocide'.
Her visit came amid a surge in support for Reform UK in Scotland ahead of the Holyrood by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse next week. The by-election was called following the death of Christina McKelvie, an SNP MSP.
Ms Rayner accompanied Davy Russell, the by-election candidate, and Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, around the constituency on Thursday.
A group of protesters stationed themselves by what appeared to be Scottish Labour's campaign office, holding Palestinian and Scottish Socialist Party flags.
Several, including one with a megaphone, reportedly went on to shout 'Rayner's done a runner' and 'runaway Rayner' after it emerged that she would not be making a scheduled stop there.
It is understood that the Deputy Prime Minister still fulfilled all her media duties and met with constituents, but that campaign visits are informed by security advice.
Asked about the protests, she told Sky News: 'The protesters regarding the dire situation in Palestine I completely understand.
'Davey Russell, our local candidate here, is fighting hard for this seat, and he'll be here long after the by-election, and has been serving his community for 45 years'.
Asked what she thought about having to 'do a runner', she replied: 'You didn't see me doing a runner. There was no running. What we were doing is campaigning as we always expected to do around here. I'm out on the streets as it is now, and I'll be knocking on doors.'
Mr Russell has faced criticism for a lack of public appearances during the campaign, having pulled out of televised debates against opponents.
But he denied keeping a low profile, telling journalists: 'If you actually go and chap [knock on] the doors, speaking to people, they don't see the SNP, they don't see Reform. They only see them in adverts.'
Ms Rayner told the Daily Record that criticisms of Mr Russell, which have included accusing him of being unable to 'string a handful of words together', were 'classist'.
'He's a hard grafter and he doesn't deserve to be treated in that way, in a classist way, but I am sure he is going to prove them all wrong,' she said.
'It's just a very outdated view of people from a working-class background. I come from a working-class background. People work really hard and they over-compensate sometimes for feeling like they are not as good as someone who possibly went to a private school.'
Reform UK's popularity has prompted John Swinney, the SNP First Minister, to call the race a 'straight contest' between his party and Nigel Farage's. Mr Swinney also claimed the Labour campaign was in collapse and urged voters to rally behind the SNP in order to fend off Reform.
He wrote in the Daily Record on Thursday: 'You have a chance to tell Nigel Farage that his poisonous politics are not welcome. You have a chance to make the next year about the priorities you care about, not the poison of a man in it for himself.'
Scottish Labour has accused Mr Farage's party of campaign adverts that amounted to ' dog-whistle racism '.
The by-election campaign advert used clips of a speech by Mr Sarwar in which he said he wanted more people from South Asian backgrounds to stand for election. The clips were preceded by the caption 'Anas Sarwar has said he will prioritise the Pakistani community' – a phrase he did not use.
On Tuesday, the Reform leader
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