ACCLAIMED Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty blasted Keir Starmer's "s*****, incompetent and anodyne opposition", as he came to Glasgow to screen his latest film with famed director Ken Loach.
Their latest work together, The Old Oak, tells the story of a former mining community in north-east England coming to terms with refugees from Syria being moved into empty homes in their streets.
Drawing comparisons between Glasgow and the north-east of England, Laverty criticised the UK Government for its “shameful” policies, saying that both communities had faced hardship as a result of government intervention.
Speaking to the Glasgow Times, Laverty said: “There’s a real sense that they’ve had industrial pasts, both port cities, and you’ve seen the decimation in the post-industrial era and how that’s affected people and their economy.”
He went on to criticise Labour leader Keir Starmer, saying that “Labour deserve to be slagged off".
Of the people featuring in past three films he has made with Loach, he said: “It's people who have just been absolutely worn down, their self-respect is gone.
“They started off as vibrant people. But over the decades their self-confidence, their self-worth, their sense of agency has gone. And I've met so many people like that.”
"And you look at the politics of the world today, an absolutely sh****, incompetent government, a s*****, incompetent and anodyne opposition.
“People like Starmer, who is an inch to the left of Sunak.
“He won't even pull back on the two-child policy, which is just absolutely disgraceful, you know. I mean it's a disgrace.
"It's shameful, beyond shameful."
The Scottish writer contrasted Labour’s recent U-turn on the two-child benefit cap, which they had previously pledged to scrap, with the Scottish Child Payment policy.
He called on Labour to adopt the SNP policy, citing Oxford University professor Danny Dorling's praise for its impact on inequality.
Dorling said the payment has resulted in the biggest reduction in inequality caused by a single policy change since the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
Laverty clarified that he is not “waving the flag for the SNP”, adding that he was “pissed off” about government inaction on climate change.
Laverty has worked with legendary director Loach for many years, with the last three films the pair made together set in the north-east of England.
Speaking about their most recent film together, The Old Oak, Laverty told the Glasgow Times that the three films could have easily been set in Glasgow.
It follows on from Sorry We Missed You, about a delivery driver in the so-called gig economy, and renowned I, Daniel Blake, which highlighted the cruelty of the benefits system.
I, Daniel Blake won the Palme d’Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, and the 2017 BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film.
Loach told The Hollywood Reporter that The Old Oak, set to release in cinemas across the UK on September 29, would “probably” be his last film.
Laverty commented that it would be “unfair” to ask Loach to do another film with him.
He said: “It would be unfair to ask him to do another film this size again, it really would. He’s my friend first and we’ve had the most amazing run.”
At the centre of the pair’s filmmaking is a love for community and characters.
Drawing comparisons between Glasgow and the north-east of England, Laverty commented on the sense of solidarity on display: “I love Glasgow and I love Newcastle, the people are great.
“It’s people you see in a film – it sounds obvious, but you know, there’s great wit, there’s great energy, great characters.
“There really is a sense of solidarity.”
The Scottish writer said that The Old Oak is about hope, a theme which has run throughout Laverty and Loach’s partnership spanning four decades, working on more than a dozen feature films together.
The film’s setting shares parallels with Glasgow, with refugees coming into communities where people are struggling with poverty and deprivation.
Laverty said: “There’s a lot of defiance, a lot of resistance, and there’s a lot of creativity that’s through humour.
“People are defiant and people’s spirit gives you hope, and I think we need to really, really nourish hope.
“We have to say history is full of cruelty and barbarity, but it’s also full of moments of great compassion and empathy and creativity.
“I hope this film is in that tradition.”
