Reform's Scottish leader defends Labour deal claim

Reform's Scottish leader defends Labour deal claim56 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleBenjamin RussellBBC ScotlandPA MediaMalcolm Offord said Anas Sarwar approached him at an event in Paisley Town HallReform UK's Scottish leader says he is standing by his claim that Scottish Labour's leader told him he wanted to work together against the SNP.Malcolm Offord made the allegation during a leaders debate on Channel 4 after Anas Sarwar accused Reform of racism and criticised comments made by one of the party's candidates.Offord said Sarwar's remarks did not square with him "bouncing up to me" at a previous event and "saying we need to work together, Reform and Labour, to remove the SNP".Sarwar said the claim was "nonsense" and later described it as "a desperate lie from a desperate man" - but Offord told BBC Scotland that he stood by what he had said.Reform's Scottish leader had been criticised during the debate over his party's billboard adverts which showed a small boat with asylum seekers under the slogan "Scotland is at breaking point".PA MediaAnas Sarwar (centre) said during the debate that Malcolm Offord's claim was "nonsense"SNP leader John Swinney said the poster had "incited tension and division", but it was defended by Offord"The idea of that billboard was to say illegal asylum seekers, they come into England, but they come to Scotland, they come to Glasgow," he said."What Reform is doing is honestly reflecting the views of local Scottish people, especially in our working class communities who feel they are being pushed to the back of the queue."Sarwar said Reform had previously spent thousands of pounds on adverts questioning his loyalty to his country.Accusing the party of racism, he said one of Reform's candidates wanted to deport his children and repeatedly asked: "Where do you want them to go, Malcolm?"...