REFORM MSP Thomas Kerr has been accused of laughing about an anti-Muslim attack in Edinburgh which left five people injured, in a furious intervention by Scottish Labour MSP Daniel Johnson at Holyrood.
Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, the Labour MSP suggested that language used by Reform had helped create an atmosphere which led to the attack.
He referenced Nigel Farage calling for "cold rage" and describing the justice system as "two-tier", as well as Malcolm Offord describing people who immigrate to the UK as being of "fighting age".
Johnson challenged the Reform benches, asking: “Is this the party you want to be? Are these the sorts of politics you want to enable and represent?”
Johnson then singled out the Reform UK deputy Scottish leader, saying: "Thomas Kerr is laughing.
“If he thinks violence in this city is funny, I am outraged – deeply outraged.
"He should think very carefully, because people in this city were injured.
"There was a clear incitement and the words that he has used, and others in his party, at least do not help that situation."
Reform UK leader in Scotland Malcolm Offord responded: "I say to the member, the only incitement going on is coming from him as he raises his voice in this manner. I said on the record, I said on the record last week, I said on the record last week, I say it again now: violence is never an answer to any problem.
"I will say it again, violence is never the answer to any problem – but that is not to ignore the problem, and we need cohesive society, and right now we do not have that, and Reform is for cohesion in our communities."
Johnson replied: "Malcolm Offord does not believe that violence is the answer. Why use the rhetoric of ‘fighting age’? ‘Fighting age’? What does fighting invoke?
"It invokes violence directly and explicitly. That is not credible, that intervention is not credible, and Malcolm Offord should think again."
Reform MSP Julie MacDougall then raised a point of order: "Forgive me, I don’t have it right in front of me, but I believe it comes under the decency and pointing fingers in the chamber, and that is courtesy, is disrespectful, and I think that we talked about this last week about respectful politics. I can’t see much of that actually today."
After the Presiding Officer reminded members to practice "dignity and respect in the chamber", Johnson responded: "I’m sorry if my finger offended anybody."
A 36-year-old white Scottish man was charged earlier this week after the incidents in the Scottish capital on Friday night which left five people injured.
Videos on social media appeared to show a man with a knife in the street, while another video appeared to show a topless man on the ground shouting that he is “protecting the country” as he is held by an officer.
Five men, two aged 22, and others aged 24, 27 and 39, sustained a range of injuries, with three requiring hospital treatment.
The organisation Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend) said that several of those injured are Muslim, while the Scottish Association of Mosques (SAM) said that two of the injured men were attacked after attending prayers at their local mosque.
