Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is facing fresh pressure after calls to rein in senior party figures accused of launching attacks on a journalist who reported claims of a potential deal with Reform.
The row follows comments from the Deputy Political Editor of The Scotsman, who said they had been accused of lying after reporting what Labour strategists had told them about post election arithmetic.
The claims centre on suggestions that Labour could require support from other unionist parties, including Reform, to secure power at Holyrood.
The issue was further heightened after the prospect of such an arrangement was raised during a live Channel 4 debate, echoing earlier reporting in multiple national newspapers.
SNP Campaign Director Angus Robertson said:
“Anas Sarwar needs to call off his attack dogs now.
“He is a desperate man willing to say and do anything, but to now attack the integrity of independent, impartial journalists is absolutely chilling and shows just how low Labour will sink.
“Everyone in Scotland knows Labour are so desperate that they are willing to do a grubby deal with Nigel Farage and Reform UK.
“The cat is well and truly out of the bag.
“What we have witnessed from Anas Sarwar in the days since it was exposed on live tv is a man who knows the game is up and is lashing out in every direction.
“And now Labour are sinking to attacking the journalists who first exposed the plot.
“That is bad enough coming from junior Labour party bag carriers.
“But when we have a senior member of Sarwar’s frontbench essentially calling a well respected journalist a liar, just for reporting the facts of Labour’s grubby deal with Reform, we are entering very dangerous territory.
“Anas Sarwar and Labour are willing to work with Reform and now it seems they are adopting the same Trumpian tactics in attacking the media.
“That is why Scotland needs to unite and deliver an SNP majority that will lock Farage out of power and unlock the fresh start of independence.”
The exchange has intensified scrutiny on Labour’s position, with wider debate now focused on potential post election alliances and the treatment of journalists reporting on them.
