By Bill Heaney
Anas Sarwar has branded Nigel Farage an “out of touch charlatan” as he sets out Nigel Farage’s long record of standing against the interests of working people.
Despite “masquerading as a man of the people”, the former banker has:
- Repeatedly said he wants to scrap the NHS and force people to pay for healthcare.
- Voted against the biggest boost to workers’ rights in a generation, opposing Labour’s plans to end fire and rehire, ban exploitative zero hour contracts, and strengthen day-one rights.
- Praised the Liz Truss mini-budget which caused economic carnage and pushed people’s mortgages through the roof.
- Said he admires Vladimir Putin and blamed NATO for Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, which has wreaked havoc with energy bills.
- Complained about maternity pay and criticised working mothers for taking maternity leave.
Scottish Labour has said that Scots will see right through Nigel Farage’s “flimsy façade” and reject his divisive politics, including in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said “Nigel Farage likes to pretend he is a man of the people, but he is nothing but a political conman.
“From campaigning to privatise the NHS to voting against the greatest boost to workers’ rights in a generation, Nigel Farage is no friend to working people.
Nigel Farage of the Reform UK Party and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
“I have no doubt that Scotland will see right through this out of touch charlatan and the flimsy façade that he cares about our communities.
“I know too many people feel like our politics, our economy and our public services don’t work for them – but only Scottish Labour can end this era of SNP failure and deliver a new direction.
“In Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse we can reject the divisive poison of Nigel Farage and call time on SNP failure by electing local champion Davy Russell.”
Voters in the Dumbarton constituency will also have a chance to say what they think of Nigel Farage and Reform UK’s policies at the Scottish Parliament elections next May.
Reform UK’s candidate will be David H Smith, who lives locally and is a Royal Navy veteran, who has already taken up a number of local issues including school transport for pupils at local schools.
Dame Jackie Baillie MSP and Reform UK candidate David H Smith.
Smith claims that Labour accusations against Reform UK relating to racism and other far right policies are a blatant attempt to blacken his name and that of Nigel Farage.
Meanwhile, like his Labour opponent Dame Jackie Baillie, who has held the local seat at Holyrood for the past 25 years, David H Smith has been spending hour upon hour of his time canvassing for Reform UK in Lanarkshire.
Smith recently polled 800 votes for Reform UK in a council by-election in the Clydebank Waterfrom Ward when he was narrowly beaten into second place by the SNP candidate at the seventh stage of the Single Transferable Vote count.