ANAS Sarwar has refused to say whether or not he agrees with Angela Rayner after she called senior Tories “scum”.
The Scottish Labour leader was asked on Politics Live about Rayner’s comments, which were made at the party’s conference.
At an event in Brighton on Saturday night Rayner said: “We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic, absolute vile… banana republic, vile, nasty, Etonian… piece of scum.”
The remarks made front page headlines in some newspapers, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer distancing himself from her remarks – and insisting that he would not use that kind of language.
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Sarwar has clearly taken a leaf out of his bosses book and stuck to a similar line during questioning on the BBC by presenter Jo Coburn.
Setting out the remarks made by Rayner, Coburn asked Sarwar if he agreed with her.
He replied: “Look we’ve all got strong views about the Conservative Party and the Conservative government, it’s not language I would use.”
Asked if he agreed with the sentiment, Sarwar said: “Do we have a government that is dividing people? Absolutely we do.
Sarwar (left) appeared on Politics Live on Monday afternoon
“Do we have a government that is overseeing an increase of prejudice and hate across our country? Absolutely we do.
“But it’s really important that we talk to people and actually persuade people to come and join the Labour Party and support the Labour Party. If the language we use risks alienating voters, rather than pulling them towards us.”
Coburn then probed Sarwar on what he would do if his deputy – Jackie Baillie MSP – had made similar remarks.
Claiming that Baillie is “even more fierce” than Rayner, he said: “The good thing about Jackie Baillie is if she’s got something to say she’ll say it harshly right to my face, she won’t need to say out in the press.”
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Rayner has continued to stoke the row by challenging Boris Johnson to sit down with her and apologise for his own “racist, homophobic and sexist” comments before she says sorry for her verbal attack on Conservatives.
She tweeted that people “seem to be far more concerned with my choice of language” than the Prime Minister’s own “racist, homophobic and sexist” comments.
Rayner added: “I’m very happy to sit down with Boris. If he withdraws his comments and apologises, I’ll be very happy to apologise to him.”
Starmer (left) has said he will speak to Rayner (right) about the remarks
She attached reports of Johnson using offensive remarks such as comparing burka-wearing Muslim women to “letter boxes” and describing gay men as “tank-topped bum boys”.
People seem to be far more concerned with my choice of language than the fact that @BorisJohnson has made comments that are racist, homophobic and sexist.
— Angela Rayner (@AngelaRayner) September 27, 2021
I'm very happy to sit down with Boris. If he withdraws his comments and apologises, I'll be very happy to apologise to him. pic.twitter.com/q1jmc91dGS
Foreign Office minister James Cleverly claimed voters can see a Tory party which has had two female prime ministers and the “most diverse government” and “they’ll know she’s talking crap”.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Rayner’s verbal attack was “absolutely appalling”, telling Sky News: “There’s no place in public life for that sort of language, that sort of behaviour.”
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