Latest news with #AnasSarwar
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Neo-Nazi group Patriotic Alternative target peaceful trade union campaigners in shocking attacks
EXCLUSIVE: Members of the far-right Patriotic Alternative group have been accused of "thuggish behaviour" as they campaign in Clydebank town centre and film critics of their hateful rhetoric. A trade union group branded "terrorists" by far-right extremists have vowed they won't be bullied into silence. Clydebank Trades Union Council has suffered verbal abuse from "thuggish" individuals identifying themselves as members of the fascist group Patriotic Alternative. The white nationalists have been making their presence felt in the West Dunbartonshire town in recent weeks by hanging "racist" banners and placards from a council-owned bandstand. Following multiple complaints from members of the public the far-rightgroup has since switched to leafleting outside the Clyde shopping centre. But that has since brought them into contact with the Clydebank TUC, which holds a regular weekly stall in the town centre promoting workers' rights. A video uploaded to YouTube last week shows a member of Patriotic Alternative shouting "stop the boats" while the trade unionists set up their stall, as well as accusing them of being members of "the communist party". The clip is entitled "left wing terrorist inClydebank trades council", language that has alarmed members of the Morrison, the group's secretary, told the Record his members were being targeted by "nasty people" - but it would not stop them setting their stall out today as usual. He said: "Clydebank TUC won't be intimidated by the thuggish behaviour of fascist outfit Patriotic Alternative who are trying to divide the local community with racist hatred. "They support Reform, which is a PLC owned and supported by multi-millionaires who have nothing in common with ordinary folk. The real reason for cuts in services and lack of housing is down to austerity implemented by successive governments, not immigrants who keep our NHS and care services going. Only a united fight back by the trade unions and communities will change this." Anas Sarwar, who has previously been the subject of Patriotic Alternative attacks, said trade unionists should not expect harassment from "bigots". The Scottish Labour leader told the Record: "The poison of the far-right has no place in our politics or society. Trade unionists - who actually stand up for working people - should not be harassed by far-right bigots who want to spread their bile. Time and time again the people of Scotland have rejected the far-right - I am sure they will do so again." It comes after Patriotic Alternative members were last month escorted from West Dunbartonshire Council headquarters after disrupting the last full council meeting ahead of the summer recess. A motion was presented to elected members by councillor Jim Bollan urging them to condemn the "racist" banners, flyers and posters that had been displayed at the Clydebank bandstand. The motion asked the council to authorise officials to remove any such items attached to the council-owned bandstand that don't have prior written consent from West Dunbartonshire Council. But as Bollan tried to speak he was interrupted by chanting from the public gallery from four protesters who kept repeating 'Scotland is for Scots'. The councillor later continued: "The overt racist posters being displayed by Patriotic Alternative in Clydebank could be a precursor to the racist violent behaviour we are seeing in Ireland at the moment where non-whites are having their homes fire bombed because of the colour of their skin. "Groups like Patriotic Alternative are cheerleaders for Reform, which is a racist party and use the fact that the two larger political parties are not delivering for the policies needed by our working-class communities. That void is being used by extremists to blame refugees and asylum seekers as a divide and conquer tactic, commonly used by racists. By supporting this motion, West Dunbartonshire Council will be sending a clear message that we are anti racist and inclusive of all races. "Before I came into this meeting, I noticed some of the banners which are outside which are overtly racist. It is unacceptable in West Dunbartonshire." The Record previously revealed how Patriotic Alternative tried to influence the recent Hamilton and Stonehouse by-election by encouraging locals to vote for Reform UK. One banner erected in Stonehouse tried to bait anti-racism campaigner Sarwar: 'Scotland too white Anas?' Another banner explained the political purpose of the trip: 'Vote Reform.' A leaflet handed out to passers-by stated: 'This flyer is brought to you by Patriotic Alternative (PA), a proud nationalist community group. We champion the rights of the native British - the English, Scottish and Welsh - stewards of our homeland, the British Isles.' They added: 'We have concerns about the future of our nation and do not believe that successive governments have prioritised the interests of the native British.' A section marked 'advocating for our own ethnic group' also said PA wanted to ensure 'indigenous Brits' are not treated as 'second class citizens'. The Record also revealed how a Scottish far-right influencer was trying to orchestrate a mass infiltration of extremists into Reform UK. Conspiracy theorist David Clew hoped to piggyback on the success of Nigel Farage's anti-immigration party by seeking to get his own allies elected to the Scottish Parliament and councils. Clews joined forces with the extremist Patriotic Alternative group, devising a 'declaration of intent' with its leader Mark Collett – a notorious neo-Nazi and former BNP official. A statement by the pair even offers 'security' and 'on the ground support' to Reform to counter any 'violent antisocial elements' that might be encountered. A Reform UK spokesman previously said: 'No one will infiltrate our party or our politics. Our electoral contract is there for all to see and we will have no truck with such inappropriate people."
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Anas Sarwar urges Brian Leishman to show ‘team spirit'
Mr Leishman has been a prominent critic of the leadership's approach to welfare reform and its failure to intervene in the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery. He, along with Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan and Chris Hinchliff, was suspended on Thursday. READ MORE At a joint press conference with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, the Prime Minister was asked whether punishing the MPs made him look weak. 'We are elected in to change this country for the better, and that means we've got to carry through that change, and we've got to carry through reforms,' he replied. 'I'm determined that we will change this country for the better, for millions of working people, and I'm not going to be deflected from that. 'And therefore we had to deal with people who repeatedly break the whip, because everyone was elected as a Labour MP on the manifesto of change and everybody needs to deliver as a Labour government. This is about what we're doing for the country.' Despite the suspension, Mr Leishman said he remained committed to Labour and would continue campaigning for the party ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election. 'That includes Anas Sarwar,' he told the Sunday Mail. 'I'm still going out campaigning and that includes him. I think he should be the next First Minister of Scotland.' He added: 'I still think that the Labour Party is the best and most likely vehicle for social change in the country and I want to be part of it. I want to get back in, but I don't regret what I've done in the first 12 months. I stand by it and I still think I'm right.' He said he had not heard from colleagues since his suspension, other than being told he was being removed from two Scottish Labour WhatsApp groups. Anas Sarwar said he want people committed to Labour (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA) Asked if he welcomed Mr Leishman's support, Mr Sarwar told the Sunday Mail: 'I want all of our MPs and all those that were elected as Labour MPs to work hard for their constituents, to argue the Labour case and to improve people's lives in Scotland. said. 'Brian Leishman himself has said he wants to remain a Labour MP, he remains committed to the Labour Party. 'I want people that are committed to the Labour Party. I want people that are committed to improving people's lives — but we all have to do it in a team spirit.' On Sunday, UK Environment Secretary Steve Reed defended the decision, saying there had been a 'pattern of behaviour' that undermined the party's unity. 'I think it is fair that if you're part of a team, you should be required to play the team game,' he told Sky News. 'You can make your views known, but if you go too far outside, you're actually undermining the whole team. We can't allow that.' He added: 'If people think they're more important than the team, they need to think again.' As well as the four left-wingers, the party also suspended Diane Abbott last week pending a new investigation into comments about racism. In an interview with the BBC, she said she did not regret remarks made more than two years ago when she said people of colour experienced racism 'all their lives', which was different from the 'prejudice' experienced by Jewish people, Irish people and Travellers. Ms Abbott, the first black woman elected to Parliament, had said: 'Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don't know. 'I just think that it's silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism. I don't know why people would say that.' The clip of the interview was re-posted by Mr Leishman, who said: 'Diane Abbott has fought against racism her entire life.'
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Anas Sarwar urges sacked MP Brian Leishman to be team player if readmitted to Labour
The Scottish Labour leader said he welcomed people who were 'committed' to the party after Grangemouth MP Leishman had the whip withdrawn. Anas Sarwar has urged sacked MP Brian Leishman to be a team player if he is readmitted to Labour. The Scottish Labour leader said he welcomed people who were 'committed' to the party when asked about the suspension. Grangemouth's MP was one of four to have the whip withdrawn from the Labour parliamentary group last week after repeatedly voting against Starmer's policies. He has been a critic of Labour over issues including the lack of action to save jobs at Grangemouth refinery in his constituency. Sunday Mail columnist Leishman revealed he had been ordered to toe the party line after voting against the government 12 times in the past year. He said: 'I still think that the Labour Party is the best and most likely vehicle for social change in the country and I want to be part of it. "I want to get back in but I don't regret what I've done in the first 12 months. I stand by it and I still think I'm right.' He said he had not heard from colleagues since his suspension, other than to be told he was being removed from two Scottish Labour Whatsapp Groups. But he said he would campaign for his colleagues in the Holyrood elections. He said: 'That includes Anas Sarwar, I'm still going out campaigning and that includes him. "I think he should be the next First Minister of Scotland.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Asked if he would welcome Leishman's support, Sarwar told the Sunday Mail: 'Look, I want all of our MPs and all those that were elected as Labour MPs to work hard for their constituents, to argue the Labour case and to improve people's lives in Scotland. 'Brian Leishman himself has said that he wants to remain a Labour MP, he remains committed to the Labour Party. 'I want people that are committed to the Labour Party. I want people that are committed to improving people's lives but we all have to do it in a team spirit.' Despite his suspension, Leishman has ruled out joining the SNP or Jeremy Corbyn's new party. He has said he wants the Labour whip back and that he is "committed rock solid" to the party. The other Labour MPs to be suspended by Keir Starmer were English MPs Neil Duncan-Jordan, Chris Hinchcliff and Rachael Maskell. Three other MPs lost their trade envoy roles.
The National
5 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Police Scotland charge man for 'Palestine Action poster in window'
The National understands that the 38-year-old man was displaying a poster alleged to contain the words 'Support Palestine Action! Free [[Palestine]]' in the window of his property in the Shawlands area of Glasgow. Police are understood to have visited the property on Monday and advised the man to take down the poster, who complied. READ MORE: Brian Leishman: 'Anas Sarwar hasn't spoken to me in six months' Officers then returned to the property on Wednesday, where the man was arrested and charged under terror law. It is understood that the man will appear in court in October. The terror group designation for Palestine Action, brought in by the Labour Government, means that membership of or support for the group is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, a 38-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 for displaying a poster expressing support for a proscribed organisation at a property in the Shawlands area of Glasgow. "He is due to appear in court at a later date. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal." It came after a man was charged in Glasgow last week under suspicion of terror offences for wearing a T-shirt allegedly showing support for Palestine Action. READ MORE: Boy, 12, charged in connection with Kilmarnock fire The National understands that the 55-year-old activist was leafleting near the TRNSMT festival and was alleged to be wearing a T-shirt from the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) which read: 'Genocide in Palestine. Time to take action.' The words Palestine and Action were in a larger font than the other text. 'Action' was in red, while the rest of the words were in white. At the bottom, the SPSC website and logo appeared. A protest is set to take place in Edinburgh on Saturday against the 'silencing' of pro-[[Palestine]] voices in the UK, organised by the Edinburgh Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee. It is understood that a group of protesters are set to defy the proscription order and wear the same T-shirts as the man who was charged in Glasgow.
The National
5 days ago
- Business
- The National
Election of 37 Scottish Labour MPs has been a disaster for Scotland
With the commendable exception of Brian Leishman, these Scottish MPs have toed the London-orchestrated party line and remained silent while Scotland has been stitched-up. Pensioners, children, Waspi women, the disabled and the poor have been denied the support one would expect of a purportedly socialist party while, contrary to the rhetoric, the 'good deals' on industrial infrastructure have been committed to projects in England without comparable investment in Scotland to benefit the workers of this country. READ MORE: Brian Leishman: 'Anas Sarwar hasn't spoken to me in 6 months' The Acorn carbon capture and storage project in Scotland was set to go ahead, yet £22 billion was committed by the [[UK Government]] to nascent projects in England while Acorn and Scottish Cluster partners have been advised they may receive a token amount of around £200 million in development funding. This same relatively paltry amount of around 200 £million is what may be paid out by the [[UK Government]] 'to support the area's economic transition' while the Grangemouth refinery is shut down and hundreds of workers lose their jobs; yet the same Labour [[UK Government]] immediately committed to maintaining operations at the loss-making Lindsey oil refinery while refusing to reveal the cost to taxpayers. This follows [[UK Government]] funding of £2.5bn to keep Scunthorpe's British Steel plant open. As if this continued heavily distorted UK infrastructure investment wasn't bad enough for Scotland, the Labour Party have rowed back from repealing the Tory's Internal Market Act, which further restricts the already limited powers of the Scottish Government. To add insult to injury, we now learn that the Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray (aka Starmer's Scottish poodle), has the audacity to claim he has no role in delivering devolution deals for Scottish cities as disingenuous justification for Glasgow and Edinburgh not receiving the funding provided by the [[UK Government]] for City Deals in England. READ MORE: Anas Sarwar silent as Brian Leishman thrown out of Labour Regarding my own Lothian East MP, it appears that he learned nothing from his complicity as a [[UK Government]] minister in the illegal invasion of Iraq, and by his relative silence he is now despicably complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the West Bank. Neither Douglas Alexander, nor the [[Labour Party]], speaks for me or for the vast majority of the people of Scotland. In the 2026 Holyrood election it is important that everyone who believes in democracy and cares for the futures of our children to grow up, study, live and prosper in Scotland, gets out and votes for a party that will speak up for the right of the people of Scotland to determine their own future via the directly elected Scottish Parliament. Stan Grodynski Longniddry, East Lothian I WOULD have had some respect for Thom Cross's Long Letter (Jul 16) if he had said objectively only the SNP WILL win independence rather than CAN win independence. However, without some clear Damascene policy strategic and tactical revelation, I'm sorry, but I am not going to vote for this contemporary SNP as I have done in the past. Sadly not only are they not listening to the message, they stoically refuse to even hear it. It's going to take a major reversal for them to get with the indy support, and a drubbing at the polls again next year may well deliver it. And all this does is force the campaign further down the road, which seems to be game they are playing. READ MORE: Legal rights without enforcement are merely political ornaments I also don't understand where Thom Cross is coming from by seeking to persuade us Scotland is not a colony. The very existence of the Scottish Secretary of State who oversees us, and operates outwith the elected authority of the Scottish Parliament, is nothing less than a Westminster-appointed High Commissioner, that kowtowing British empire power symbol despised by the 60 former colonies that turned their backs on the empire for their independence, none of which begged to be suborned by Westminster rule again. Refusal to recognise our colonial status merely proves how successfully the propaganda has worked. Scotland will never be independent unless it creates a constitutional crisis – supported by hopefully peaceful direct action, as in Gandhi's leadership example – and this SNP have shown they just won't deliver it. Swinney is clearly hoping somehow indy will happen and his party can claim the credit for it, but won't force the issue. He is not prepared to poke the bear that needs poking. READ MORE: Will John Swinney surprise us with a courageous election manifesto? Scotland allegedly entered into a partnership in 1707, taken there by a small minority of self-interested traitors who allowed the English power to con us, with dissent crushed by the British (English) army. However that treaty is superior to the Scotland Act. Resile from the treaty and the Scotland Act is irrelevant. We have a democratically elected parliament, just the vehicle to reassert our authority. What we don't have is an SNP leadership prepared to step out of their establishment comfort zone to make it happen. The 2026 election is the ideal opportunity to set the agenda. Just one issue. Independence. Ignore the media onslaught on the SNP's record, good or bad. Use social media and street protests to drive the independence agenda. But it has to be declared from now. The argument has to be made clearly to push support higher. The alternative is to remain as a colony served by a High Commissioner about to waste money to develop the nuclear weapons base that imperils Scots like canon fodder and the English avoid because we let them. Choice stolen from us. We have to tell them we reject Ian Murray in his High Commissioner status, we reject his nuclear weapons and we reject his colonial British empire wannabe Westminster government. Independence NOW! Jim Taylor Scotland
