A SENIOR Alba Party figure has clashed with Tory MSP Murdo Fraser over leaflets taking aim at Rishi Sunak's plan to sign off on over 100 new oil and gas licences.
Fraser accused Alba of being "distasteful" by mocking up the Prime Minister as a vampire with oil dripping from his fangs.
The party’s chair Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh rejected Fraser's insinuation and said the leaflets were “nothing to do with colour”, insisting they were an update of a famous poster of Margaret Thatcher.
Fraser had tweeted an image of the leaflets and said: “This is where Scottish politics is in 2003 [2023], our first Asian heritage Prime Minister being depicted in this way.
“More than a little distasteful @AlbaParty.”
The leaflet in question showed an image of Rishi Sunak with the caption: “No wonder he’s laughing. He’s got Scotland’s oil.”
This is where Scottish politics is in 2003, our first Asian heritage Prime Minister being depicted in this way. More than a little distasteful @AlbaParty pic.twitter.com/p5pcluoFfV
— Murdo Fraser (@murdo_fraser) August 13, 2023
Ahmed-Sheikh replied to the tweet and said: “Well, I was Scotland’s first woman of colour elected to Parliament, but it didn’t stop you trying (and failing) to ridicule me by tweeting old photos.
“Practice what you preach.”
Ahmed-Sheikh previously served as the MP for Ochil and South Perthshire from 2015 to 2017.
Fraser hit back at her reply, saying: “Were they doctored to portray you as a monster? Nope, didn’t think so.”
Ahmed-Sheikh went on to explain what the leaflet was actually inspired by.
She said: “Of course anyone who knows anything about Scottish politics would recognise this as an interesting update of a poster from the highly successful ‘It’s Scotland’s Oil’ campaign – originally devised about Margaret Thatcher.
“Nothing to do with colour, all to do with substance.”
She sent one more message to Fraser which said: "I see you've already changed your position - you've moved from 'Asian heritage' to 'monster'. Quite the climb down. Have a lovely day."
The leaflets are being distributed a few weeks after Sunak announced the UK Government would grant hundreds of new oil and gas licences in the North Sea.
It was a move which was met with widespread fury by environmental campaigners and eventually led to a protest at the Prime Minister’s Yorkshire mansion.
