SCOTLAND’S First Minister has said footage obtained by The National showing the current Labour candidate in Aberdeen South saying he wanted the Tories to win the seat in 2019 is "pretty revealing".
We told how Tauqeer Malik, the candidate in Aberdeen South, was caught saying that he supported Tory candidate Douglas Lumsden in the previous election.
He said that Labour deliberately fumbled their campaign when the party was led by Jeremy Corbyn to give the Tory bid a boost.
A number of figures from across Scottish politics have shared the video, with John Swinney commenting: “Well this is pretty revealing about Labour…”
Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s candidate in Aberdeen South, commented: “He states that Labour ‘did not bother at all’. The SNP beat the Tories. This Labour candidate backed them.
“Will Labour stick by him?”
Keir Starmer has since been urged to sack the candidate by the SNP with the party's campaign director Stewart Hosie saying what Malik said was an “absolute disgrace”.
Kirsty Blackman, the SNP candidate for Aberdeen North, also took to Twitter/X to share the video and said: “Labour candidate for Aberdeen South, Tauqeer Malik wanted the Tories to win there in 2019.”
Specifically, Malik was caught saying: “When Douglas was (the Conservative) candidate, Douglas Lumsden in 2019, we did not bother, Labour did not bother at all, we were hoping that Douglas would make it.
“That’s why Labour had only 3000 (votes) because we did not do anything.”
SNP campaign director Hosie added: “This video footage is proof of Labour in Aberdeen in collusion with the Conservatives, doing literally anything to attack the SNP, no matter the consequences for Scotland.
“If Sir Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar have any ounce of credibility or integrity, they need to sack him immediately.”
The SNP’s depute leader Keith Brown also shared the video along with a post explaining that in his leaflet to voters, Malik called the Tories “morally and economically bankrupt”.
In the aftermath of the video being released, we also told how shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray was spotted out campaigning with Malik.
