ANDREW Marr has hit out at “offensive” and “ridiculous” Gaelic signs in parts of Scotland.
The veteran broadcaster was speaking at an “In Conversation” event with Anas Sarwar at Labour conference.
An audience member at the Q&A event organised by Scottish Fabians asked the Scottish Labour leader about promoting the Welsh language, which then prompted Sarwar to mention Gaelic.
"Perhaps I disagree totally with Anas here, I don’t know,” Marr interrupted.
"I find it equally offensive that all sorts of parts of Scotland, which have never been Gaelic, have never had Scots spoken [have Gaelic signs].”
Marr – who previously worked for the BBC as a political editor – then asked: "Why does Haymarket [station] have to have the Gaelic for Haymarket under it? It’s ridiculous.
"The Scots are made up of many different peoples historically. Many different groups of people have come to Scotland and they brought different languages and I think we should let languages rest and prosper where they come from.”
Sarwar (below) soon cut him off to ask if Torcuil Crichton – who speaks Gaelic and is the Labour MP for the Western Isles – was in the room.
"I sincerely hope not," said Marr. Sarwar then responded that he did not "take the Andrew Marr view".
It comes as plans to boost the Scots and Gaelic languages in areas of Scotland where they are traditionally used was passed at the first phase in Holyrood last week.
MSPs voted in favour of the general outlines of the Scottish Languages Bill, which, if passed, will allow parents to apply for Gaelic early learning and childcare.
The bill, which has now passed stage one, will also help ensure that Gaelic medium primary pupils can continue their education in secondary school.
It is hoped this will encourage the increase of the language’s provision within Scotland’s school curriculum.
Other provisions included within the Bill are the adoption of both Scots and Gaelic as official languages in Scotland, and the establishment of areas of linguistic significance in Gaelic communities, allowing ministers to focus grant funding in areas where Gaelic is most fragile.
