The Reform UK leader, in a video on social media, claimed one in three schoolchildren in Glasgow do not speak English as their first language.

“This is not diversity, as the left always preach, this actually is the cultural smashing of Glasgow,” he said.

Nigel Farage (Image: Lucy North/PA Wire)

“It’s turning it into a completely different city in every way. My question is, who voted for this? Who told anybody in Scotland this was actually happening?”

Speaking with journalists at a community centre in Glasgow, the Prime Minister said Farage is a “toxic, divisive disgrace”.

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“All he wants to do is tear communities apart in Glasgow. The diversity, the compassion is celebrated – it’s part of not just Glasgow but Scotland.”

He added: “I don’t go around picking and choosing and trying to divide. I think it’s particularly poor that he’s reached right into children now to start that divide.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also hit out at Farage, adding: “How dare he use Glasgow’s kids to spread his own poison.”

Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer pictured in Glasgow on Thursday (Image: Getty Images)

First Minister John Swinney, earlier on Thursday, said the comments demonstrated that Farage is “a purveyor of racist views”.

He said: “I think Nigel Farage’s comments are just quite simply racist. That’s what they are. There’s no other way to describe it.

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“I don’t know quite when we believed that multilingualism was something of a problem in our society, and certainly not the view I take. I think it’s a benefit. I think it reflects the diversity of our country.

“I think what these comments from Nigel Farage demonstrate is that he is a purveyor of racist views and people should think about that long and hard before they think about voting for his party.”

When he was asked directly whether Farage is a racist, Keir Starmer said: “If you look at the approach, particularly when it comes to what he said about reaching in and removing people who’ve been here for a very long time lawfully in this country and deporting them, that to me is racist policy.”