London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Sturgeon accused of divisive rhetoric for saying 'I detest the Tories'

Sturgeon accused of divisive rhetoric for saying 'I detest the Tories'

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of using divisive rhetoric after she said "I detest the Tories"

She made the comments to Laura Kuenssberg when asked if she would prefer a Labour or a Tory PM.

Cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi said her language was "dangerous".

But Ms Sturgeon later told the BBC she did not regret her choice of words, which were not about individuals or Tory voters.

The Scottish first minister clarified that when she had said she "detests" the Tories, she was "referring to Tory policies and values that do a lot of damage".

Earlier in her interview on the programme Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Ms Sturgeon hit out at the UK government's continuing opposition to granting Scotland another vote on independence.

Ms Sturgeon said she would "never, ever give up" on her push for a second referendum on independence, something Tory Prime Minister Liz Truss has ruled out.

Asked if Ms Truss was a friend or foe, Ms Sturgeon said that they were "political opponents" but she "would like to be a friend on the basis of the areas we can work together constructively".

However, when then asked if she would prefer a Labour or Tory government, Ms Sturgeon said: "I detest the Tories and everything they stand for so it's not difficult to answer that question."

Mr Zahawi - the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster - told the same programme: "I think that language is really dangerous."

He said he preferred to work with his colleagues in Scotland on delivering projects.

At the SNP's annual conference in Aberdeen, BBC political correspondent David Wallace Lockhart asked the first minister if Mr Zahawi's criticism of her language was fair.

"No it's not," Ms Sturgeon said. "I was referring to Tory party values and policies, policies that throughout much of my lifetime have devastated communities and plunged people into poverty."

During the conference, senior SNP politicians have attacked the Conservative government and its policies.

On Sunday some Tory politicians criticised Ms Sturgeon, accusing her of stoking divisions for political ends in Scotland.

In a tweet, former leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson, said the comment about detesting the Tories was "clearly a rhetoric-raising strategy" ahead of Ms Sturgeon's speech to the SNP conference on Monday.

Conservative MP Andrew Bowie also tweeted to suggest the language was no way to win over voters who voted against Scottish independence in the 2014 referendum.

And Conservative MSP Annie Wells wrote in a tweet that the use of "detest" was "irresponsible language" from someone in Ms Sturgeon's position.

But some SNP politicians have defended Ms Sturgeon's remarks as they gathered for their party conference.

When asked if he detested the Tories, Deputy First Minister John Swinney told Channel 4 News he "had no stomach for the Tories whatsoever".

Pressed on whether "detest" was the right word to use, Ms Swinney repeated his earlier comment.

Earlier this week, Ms Sturgeon told the BBC she still had not had a phone call with Ms Truss, more than a month after she had become prime minister.

When Ms Truss was campaigning to be Tory leader, the prime minister branded Ms Sturgeon as an "attention seeker" who was best ignored.

In Sunday's interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Ms Sturgeon said she had "always tried to work with her predecessors and I will try to work with her [Liz Truss]".

Ms Sturgeon took at swipe at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who she said "no longer wants to take the UK or Scotland back into the European Union".

But when asked if she wanted to see Sir Keir in Downing Street, she told Laura Kuenssberg that "being better than the Tories is not a high bar to cross right now".

She said: "I think we need to see more of a radical alternative from Labour rather than just a pale imitation.

"If you're asking me do I think either a Westminster Tory government or a Westminster Labour government are good enough for Scotland, then my answer to that is no."


Watch: I detest the Tories and everything they stand for - Nicola Sturgeon

Watch: No regret for saying 'I detest the Tories' - Sturgeon


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×