THE First Minister has called a senior Reform UK MSP an “absolute disgrace”, accusing him of "trivialising" the terror-linked anti-Muslim attacks in Edinburgh last week.
SNP leader John Swinney levelled the accusations at Thomas Kerr, the deputy leader of Reform in Scotland, at First Minister’s Questions on Thursday.
The previous day, during the first Reform-led debate of the new Scottish parliament, Labour MSP Daniel Johnson had accused Kerr of laughing while he spoke about the allegedly Islamophobia-motivated attacks in Edinburgh on June 19, which saw five people wounded.
Kerr admitted he had been laughing during Johnson’s speech, but claimed that it was at the Labour MSP’s “pathetic fake outrage”.
The Reform MSP was again laughing in the chamber on Thursday, prompting the First Minister to say: “Oh, it's all very funny, Mr Kerr. You're always laughing at things.
“Mr Kerr was laughing at the very substantial points made by Daniel Johnson in the debate where Mr Kerr trivialised the attacks on Muslim members of our community, which is an absolute disgrace.”
The moment came after Malcolm Offord, the leader of Reform UK in Scotland, asked Swinney about former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell embezzling £400,000 from the party and former first minister Nicola Sturgeon’s “no comment” interview with Police Scotland.
Offord said Sturgeon had “now fled to London in search of fame and fortune and lower taxes”.
He went on: “Is it true, is it true that the second edition of Ms Sturgeon's memoirs will be entitled Frankly I Don't Give a Damn?
“Meanwhile, we have heard that Ms No Comment is to star in a TV show playing the role of the deputy first minister, deputy prime minister in the UK.
“Frankly, you couldn't make this up, or is this part of John Swinney's cunning plan?
“Does the First Minister agree with me that the no comment saga must be part of the forthcoming inquiry into Murrell-gate?”
Swinney said in response: “If anyone who voted Reform was watching Mr Offord's question to me there just now, I think they would think what a waste of time it was voting for Reform, because that was just an insulting lot of drivel from Malcolm Offord.”
The Reform MSP then used a follow-up question to make more jokes about Murrell’s crimes.
He said: “It is the last day of term, Presiding Officer, so on the same theme, of course, the items bought by Peter Murrell with money stolen from the SNP are now part of Scotland's political history and this saga will be taught to future generations of Scotland's children.
“Will the First Minister arrange for as many items as can be found to be gathered together and displayed as the Murrell Collection?
“Will he also arrange for some items to be gifted to Scotland's museums and galleries as permanent exhibitions and a tribute to SNP governance?
“Can I suggest that the fountain pen, which Nicola Sturgeon used to sign her resignation letter, should go to the people's palace to become the people's pen?
“Or similarly, the two toilet seats could go to Perth to sit alongside the Stone of Destiny, or the £3000 coffee machine could sit beside the Declaration of Arbroath to show how political priorities have changed.”
Offord added: “So does he agree with me that this part of Scotland's history must not be lost?”
Swinney responded: “No, I'm going to get on with delivering for the people of Scotland.”
