Afternoon summary
Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, has said she is “angry” about Donald Trump’s decision to start a war with no clear plan to get out of it. (See 4.51pm.)
For a full list of all the stories covered on the blog today, do scroll through the list of key event headlines near the top of the blog.
Reform UK says it might rerun 'racist' attack ad against Anas Sarwar in Scotland
Reform UK has said it could rerun an attack ad against Anas Sarwar that claimed he would “prioritise the Pakistani community” in Scotland, the Press Association reports. PA says:
Thomas Kerr, a senior figure in the party and one of their Holyrood candidates, said he could not rule out re-airing the ad which was branded “racist” by Scottish Labour leader Mr Sarwar and first minister John Swinney.
The former Tory councillor spoke to reporters at a press conference alongside Reform UK Scotland leader Lord Malcolm Offord in Glasgow’s east end.
The pair posed in front of two vans that showed pictures of migrants, all non-white, on a boat with large red writing above that read: “Scotland is at breaking point.”
Smaller words below the picture said: “Glasgow has become the illegal migrant capital of the UK. Only Reform Scotland will stop this.”
During the press conference, at Tollcross international swimming centre, Lord Offord said a Reform Scottish government would use Holyrood’s powers to clamp down on migration, which is reserved, through areas including housing policy, which are devolved.
During the event, the party was asked whether it would rerun its attack against the Scottish Labour leader, who was born in Glasgow to Pakistani parents, that was first used in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse byelection in 2025.
Kerr said he could not rule it out, telling reporters: “This is a man who is hoping to be first minister at Holyrood for all of Scotland and I think it’s right that he is held accountable for statements he has made.
“The sort of campaign that Reform will run is one to make sure that this man [Mr Offord] sitting next to me is in Bute House.
“We’re not interested in second place, we’re not interested in propping up Anas Sarwar or John Swinney, we want to make sure that this guy sitting next to me wins and is in Bute House to get the real fundamental change this country needs.”
Pressed again whether Reform could re-use the video, Kerr said: “I am not going to rule out using Anas Sarwar’s words against him because Anas Sarwar is a grown-up politician who deserves to be scrutinised like anyone else in this country.
“He is hoping to be first minister. Every single statement that man has made should be under massive amounts of scrutiny.”
