Jeremy Corbyn’s man in Scotland weighed into Labour’s civil war by mocking claims from the party’s deputy leader that it is being infiltrated by Trotskyists.
Labour MSP Neil Findlay, who is a key ally of Mr Corbyn, poked fun at Tom Watson, tweeting that the deputy leader is launching a Pokémon Go-style app that will help him track down hard-left supporters of the Soviet international socialist Leon Trotsky.
His intervention comes amid a row between the UK Labour leader and Mr Watson over the political persuasion of new members.
Mr Findlay told The Courier that people are getting a “bit hysterical and delusional about who is coming into the Labour party”.
“Tom Watson suggests that there are massed ranks of wild eyed revolutionaries joining in order to destroy the party,” he said.
“In my experience this is far from the case. The new members I have met are thoughtful, caring and compassionate people who simply want a better society. They are people driven by hope.”
Tom Watson launching a new app today – Trotskyite Go – you can find, fight and destroy Trotskyites on your phone – "THEY'RE EVERYWHERE" TW
— Neil Findlay MSP (@NeilFindlay_MSP) August 15, 2016
The West Bromwich East MP referred last week to Trotsky entryists manipulating younger members of the party. Mr Corbyn called the claims “nonsense”.
Tom Sheldon, secretary of Momentum Edinburgh, said many new members simply wish for an end to the assumption that free markets solve all society’s problems.
Speaking in a personal capacity, he said: “The mere suggestion that this somehow equates to a belief in radical, violent revolution is in my view preposterous and those who perpetuate such myths only serve to stifle proper democratic debate in our country with straw-man arguments.”
Meanwhile, Owen Smith, who is challenging for the Labour leadership, used a speech in Salford yesterday to claim that NHS spending on the private sector has doubled to nearly £9 billion under the Conservatives.
The former pharmaceuticals lobbyist hit back at claims he is open to health service privatisation, saying: “We need to see less private provision in the NHS, not more.”
Earlier, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said she would reject any deal, coalition or pact with the SNP to get Labour into power at Westminster. The Scottish Labour leader said a deal “just wouldn’t work”.