SCOTTISH Labour's words have been called “completely hollow” as they attempted to distance themselves from a controversial think tank while still accepting money from them.
SNP MP for Dundee Central, Chris Law, has said Scottish Labour and Anas Sarwar “cannot be trusted” following the news that more than £100,000 was donated by Labour Together to 17 of their MPs.
Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West’s Labour MP, Martin McCluskey, was the latest to be revealed to have accepted £10,000 from the think tank which Sarwar branded as a “fringe” element.
McCluskey said he was “grateful” to receive support from Labour Together, despite Sarwar’s attempt to distance the party from them.
Law has said only the SNP can stand up to Labour and hold them accountable for what they say.
He said: “Whether it was attempting to distance themselves from influential Labour figures making disgusting remarks or promising no austerity - people in Scotland can see that Scottish Labour and Anas Sarwar’s words are completely hollow, and their promises cannot be trusted.
“Only the SNP can be trusted to stand up for Scotland and protect households from continued austerity under Keir Starmer’s government.”
Labour Together made headlines earlier this year after the former director of the group who is now the MP for Makerfield, Josh Simons, proposed putting gangs smuggling asylum seekers across the English Channel on a barge and sending them to Scotland.
During an interview with LBC, Simons said: “Why don’t you send the smuggler gangs and put them on the barge that you know has been set aside for the asylum seekers and then, you know, ship the barge up to the north of Scotland.
“Who cares?”
Sarwar attempted at the time to distance Scottish Labour and himself from the think tank as he claimed he didn’t even know who Simons was.
He said: “My first reaction is ‘who?’ Every party has elements on the fringes that give them moments of cringe.
“I think people that are making stupid, flippant comments like that are best ignored.”
Earlier this week McCluskey’s parliamentary register of interests from July 22 showed he received a five-figure sum from the think tanks which he said he was “pleased” to receive.
When asked about the £10,000 donation from the think tank McCluskey said: “Labour Together has made an important contribution to policy thinking in the Labour Party over a number of years and I was pleased that they supported my campaign during the election.
“I am grateful to all the local and national donors who helped us get Labour’s message out to people during our successful General Election campaign.”
A Labour spokesperson said: “All donations are declared in accordance with Parliamentary and Electoral Commission rules.”
