Laurence Fox's Reclaim Party believes racism not ‘huge issue’ in Scotland as they look to repeal Hate Crime Bill

Laurence Fox said identifying him as a white man was “racist” as the Reclaim Party’s Scottish candidate looks to repeal the Hate Crime Bill after claiming that racism does not appear to be a “huge problem” in Scotland.

During the newly established Reclaim Party campaign visit to Scotland on Thursday, party leader Laurence Fox said that asking him if two white men were the answer to tackling racism was “racist”.

The former Lewis star turned Mayor of London candidate said: “That’s racist. What does anybody’s skin colour have to do with anything at all?”

Reclaim Party leader Laurence Fox and the party's Glasgow candidate Leo Kearse on the roof terrace of the Carlton George Hotel in Glasgow for a campaign visit to Scotland on April 29 (Photo: Hannah Brown).

Questioned on whether he listens to people’s lived experiences, Mr Fox, who created the ‘freedom of speech’ party last year, responded: “Of course.

"I go out and start every single day and I meet people of all different skin colours and sexual orientations.”

At the campaign event in the Carlton George Hotel in Glasgow, Mr Fox was supporting political comedian Leo Kearse – running to repeal the SNP’s Hate Crime Bill.

Mr Kearse, who is running as a candidate for Glasgow Pollok and is on the Glasgow list, said he would “do his best” to “hold the SNP to account” by tackling “systemic wokeism”.

Talking about whether racism was a major concern in Scotland, Mr Kearse said: “To be honest, I don’t think that racism is a huge issue in Scotland anymore.

"Certainly growing up in rural Scotland, there were some racists, but from ignorance rather than malice and now I think things have almost swung the other way."

At the Glasgow event, Mr Fox responded to Ruth Davidson’s ‘mid-life crisis’ comment after she hinted the former actor should buy a sports car instead of setting up a political party.

Writing for Unherd in April this year, the former Scottish Conservative leader said: “Looking at the likes of Laurence Fox and the other multiple reincarnations of Nigel Farage, voters would be forgiven for wanting men of a certain age to deal with their midlife crisis by buying a sports car, rather than launching a new political party.”

Mr Fox responded: “I think you should play the ball and not the man.”

"Attack what I stand for. If you want to do an ad hominem attack and say ‘go buy yourself a sports car’, I’m like well, I’ve already got one, thanks.”

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