ANAS Sarwar has said a Labour candidate’s claim the party helped the Tories campaign in 2019 “wasn’t true” and was a “stupid thing to say” as he defended not sacking him.

The Scottish Labour leader backed Tauqeer Malik as the candidate for Aberdeen South saying that “if I was to list every politician that had said something stupid this would be a very long conversation”.

It comes after The National revealed Malik, who is running against SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, told a voter his party “did not bother at all” in the constituency at the last election in the hopes the Tories would keep the seat.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has been under pressure to sack Malik over the comments, which were captured on Ring doorbell footage shared with this paper.

SNP campaign chief Stewart Hosie (below) said: “The Labour Party cannot credibly say they want to get rid of the Tories if their own candidates are secretly backing Conservative candidates.”

But speaking to The National in Kirkcaldy on Thursday, Sarwar said: “It wasn’t true, it was a stupid thing to say and he is one of many candidates campaigning to make sure we beat the Tories in this election.”

READ MORE: Sack Labour candidate after 'we helped Tories in 2019' comment, Keir Starmer urged

Asked if he was a “paper candidate” who Labour did not expect to win the seat, Sarwar said: “He said something stupid and if I was to list every politician that had said something stupid this would be a very long conversation.

“He said something stupid, it wasn’t true but we are focused and every candidate and every candidate is focused on making sure in the next seven days we get rid of the Tories, put Scotland at the heart of a Labour government and start that journey for change.”

And he claimed the SNP were the party who wanted to keep the Tories in power in Westminster, adding: “The only people that seem more depressed at the thought of getting rid of the Tories is John Swinney and the SNP.”

Malik was approached for comment.