Labour Unite .. not a hope
Union leader savages Sarwar over private school
BITTER infighting engulfed the Scottish Labour leadership contest last night as a union boss attacked Anas Sarwar for sending his children to private school.
Unite’s Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty also took aim at the “right wing” of the party ahead of a union conference speech in Aviemore.
Rafferty urged union members to back Sarwar’s rival Richard Leonard.
He said: “To Anas Sarwar, I would simply ask this – what standard does Scottish public education need to be at before you would send your children there?”
It is a direct response to Sarwar’s claim that he used a fee-paying school because state school standards weren’t high enough.
Sarwar has also had to fend off attacks on his wealth and links to his family’s firm, who do not pay the “real living wage”.
Rafferty widened his attack to critics of the union’s role in the leadership election.
This month, Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray, a Sarwar supporter, said Unite have signed up affiliate members to back Leonard “against the rules” of the party.
Rafferty will tell delegates: “Accusations of Unite trying to fix the leadership election are outrageous and unfounded. Unite has broken no rules and has complied with all the requirements laid down to us by the Scottish Labour Party. The party itself has confirmed this to be the case.
“So my message to Ian Murray and his like on the right of the party is – don’t try and use Unite in an attempt to cover up your own failing campaign for Anas Sarwar.”
A spokesman for Sarwar’s campaign said: “This personal attack from Pat Rafferty reveals how little he cares about uniting our Labour family.
“His comments will dismay both party members and Unite members who reject division and want to bring our movement together so that we can kick the Tories and SNP out of office.”
Murray said: “I don’t respond to bullies, especially those too cowardly to even have a conversation to ascertain the facts.”