Accusing Sarwar of sectarianism looks like a stupid error by Farage
A bitter dispute between Nigel Farage and Anas Sarwar including the hurling of insults about who was first to bring sectarian issues into the campaign looks like setting the tone for crucial by-election on June 5.
The evidence is pretty conclusive that Mr Farage's Reform UK started that war of words through his party's use of a three-year-old Labour campaign video which contained clips of Mr Sarwar in which it was said he claimed he would 'prioritise Pakistani voters'.
However, the Scottish Labour leader did not use the words he's accused of saying. He didn't use those words at all. What he said was that he wanted to see more people from the South Asian community getting involved in politics.
What was attributed to him in the campaign video was merely what Reform's campaign team thought he meant – or even what they might have liked him to mean. They attributed to him their interpretation of his views, ones they hope contrast with their instance that the voters of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse are their priority.
Labour colleagues of Mr Sarwar, as well as John Swinney, Scotland's First Minister and SNP leader, claimed Reform had introduced a sectarian element into the contest, one in which both Reform UK and Scottish Labour hope to win.
But in what his supporters may well describe as a competent and professionally delivered press conference the overall image was damaged by what looked like a stupid error by Reform – especially one so close to a crucial by-election that it has high hopes of winning.
They eventually admitted that Reform had attributed to the Scottish Labour leader words he hadn't used. But someone should have done that earlier.
In an attempt to repair things Mr Farage must have mystified the ranks of Fleet Street's finest at his press conference when he produced another clip of the aforesaid video, but without the offending words.
I can't imagine that many in the room had a clue what all of this Scottish stuff was about, but for the Reform leader it was complete vindication. After playing the clip, he said: 'So it was Anas Sarwar that introduced sectarianism into Scottish politics – making it perfectly clear his priority was to a certain section of the community.'
But that again is an interpretation – simply the Reform leader's opinion of Mr Sarwar's priority. It is not a proven fact.
For his part the Scottish Labour leader commented: 'This was a blatant attempt from Nigel Farage to try and poison our politics here in Scotland.'
The SNP candidate is favourite to win the by-election, caused by the death of a very popular and long serving minister. But Reform is said to be taking votes off both Labour and the SNP.
It would be incredible if Reform won, although Labour strategists claim that the Farage/Sarwar spat is harming the Reform candidate.
But then, they would say that, wouldn't they?
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