Overview
- Anas Sarwar reinforced his accusations against Reform UK, calling its figures “unedifying” and urging voters to “hammer” the party at the May 7 Scottish election.
- Sarwar alleges Reform candidate Graham Simpson called Scottish leader Malcolm Offord “a useless leader,” labelled candidate Thomas Kerr “a weasel,” and tried to obtain Sarwar’s phone number.
- He also says Simpson was apologetic about a Reform attack ad critics called racist, which claimed Sarwar would prioritise Scotland’s Pakistani community.
- Simpson and Reform deny all of Sarwar’s claims, call them desperate smears, and counter that Sarwar sought post‑election cooperation to oust the SNP, which Sarwar rejects.
- Sarwar has ruled out any deals with Reform in a likely minority parliament, a stance that could shape budget votes at Holyrood, where parties have often needed support from rivals.