Sir Keir Starmer issues 'trust' declaration over manipulated Anas Sarwar advert from Reform's Nigel Farage

Sir Keir Starmer has accused Reform of “poisoning our politics” over an advert the rival party posted featuring manipulated footage of Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.

The advert, which has been defended by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, claimed Mr Sarwar would “prioritise” the Pakistani community.

Sir Keir Starmer criticised Nigel Farage over the doctored video | PA

Clips showed Mr Sarwar calling for more representation of Scots with south Asian heritage, although he did not say he would prioritise any group. Both the SNP and Labour have demanded the advert be removed by Meta.

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Speaking at a campaign event in north-west England on Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer said: “What we’ve seen with Reform in Scotland in relation to this particular video is manipulation. And it is, as ever with Reform and Nigel Farage, trying to divide people with a toxic divide, and to poison our politics. And I think our politics is above that, and that’s why I think it’s absolutely right that Anas Sarwar has called this out for what it is.

“It is toxic divide, it is introducing poison into our politics, and that is exactly what turns people off politics. And that is why restoring trust in politics is so important to my project and the project of Scottish Labour.”

The video has prompted a furious row between the parties. Mr Sarwar on Wednesday branded Mr Farage a “tedious, pathetic little man” as the Reform leader doubled down on a racism row that has overshadowed a crucial Scottish by-election next week.

The stand-off ahead of the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election intensified after the Scottish Labour leader said he would challenge Mr Farage “anytime, any place” to debate their views, sparked amid accusations Reform has resorted to “racist” advertisements as part of the party’s campaign.

Mr Farage, the Reform UK leader, had played the online advert at a press conference in London on Tuesday, before claiming the Scottish Labour leader had “introduced sectarianism into Scottish politics”.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar labelled Nigel Farage “pathetic”. | Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Sir Keir’s criticism came in a series of attacks on the Reform UK leader, in which he also claimed Mr Farage would not have protected jobs in industries subject to tariffs from the US. The Prime Minister also compared Mr Farage to former prime minister Liz Truss.

Sir Keir said: “We protected those jobs. Would Nigel Farage have done the same? Absolutely not.

“And that’s the question to have to ask about Nigel Farage. Can you trust him? Can you trust him with your future? Can you trust him with your jobs? Can you trust him with your mortgages, your pensions, your bills? And he gave the answer on Tuesday - a resounding no.

“He set out economic plans which contains billions upon billions of completely unfunded spending. [It is] precisely the sort of irresponsible splurge that sent your mortgage costs, your bills and the cost of living through the roof. It’s Liz Truss all over again.”

Sir Keir insisted he knows “what it’s like growing up in a cost-of-living crisis”.

He said: “Unlike Nigel Farage, I know what it’s like growing up in a cost-of-living crisis. I know what it’s like when your family can’t pay the bills, when you fear the postman, the bills that may be brought, and I know how much work we have to do.

“But there is not and never will be a magic wand that can wave away the need to manage the public finances properly. That is the foundation upon which everything rests, always.

“Now we were elected to change the country, but we were also elected to never put working people through a crisis like Liz Truss ever again.”

Sir Keir dodged questions about whether he would like to get rid of the two-child benefit cap, saying he was looking at "all options" to drive down child poverty.

It came after Mr Farage had confirmed his party's support for scrapping the two-child benefit cap and fully reversing the winter fuel payment cuts.

Asked why he was focusing so much on Reform UK, the Prime Minister said the Conservative Party has "run out of road".

Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf said Sir Keir's speech showed it was "panic stations at Labour".

"Look, Keir Starmer is panicking because his awful Government is now trailing Reform by a staggering eight points in the latest YouGov poll," he told Sky News.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said Reform UK's pledge to increase the income tax personal allowance to £20,000 a year could cost between £50 billion and £80 billion a year.

The IFS's deputy director Helen Miller said the announcements on winter fuel payments and the two-child benefit cap were "dwarfed" by the change to income tax personal allowance.

Kevin Hollinrake , the shadow local government secretary, said the Prime Minister has "problems wherever he looks".

He told Sky News: "The public's lost interest in Labour. I mean, I don't think they were ever popular at the despatch box - we were just unpopular, and we've got a big job to do on that particular score, but I believe we can do it.

"But also Reform, the 'red wall' as we call it, the working class voters, have completely lost faith in Keir Starmer and (Chancellor) Rachel Reeves and others, not least because of the disgraceful stripping away of the winter fuel allowance."

Sir Keir is also facing danger from dissatisfied backbenchers, he said.

"So I can understand, he's trying to basically aim his fire all around him. It'll end up in a circular firing squad, I think, and it looks very bad for the Prime Minister right now."