JOHN Swinney has lashed out at Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar branding him "unworthy" during First Minister's Questions.
Sarwar used his allotted time to say shoplifting incidents have more than doubled since the last election in Scotland, claiming the SNP have a "soft touch" approach to crime.
He asked Swinney to apologise for "effectively legalising shoplifting".
But Swinney said the charge put to him by Sarwar is "baseless" and "unworthy of the Labour leader".
Sarwar claimed the Scottish Government had essentially legalised shoplifting. He made the allegation after visiting businesses in Glasgow this week in the wake of a 57% increase in the crime in the past decade.
The Scottish Labour leader said: “The SNP has a soft-touch approach to crime in our country.
“Since the last election, shoplifting is up 124%, shop staff are going to work fearing for their safety, and communities are undermined by criminals who feel like they can get away with it.
“Will John Swinney and his SNP Government apologise for effectively legalising shoplifting in Scotland?”
Swinney responded: "I think Mr Sarwar is at the bottom of the barrel today, if I may say so to Parliament.
"The accusation there is a soft touch justice system in Scotland might have some validity if we were not incarcerating more people than any other Western European country, and if our prisons were not facing the increase in population they are facing.
"So the charge Mr Sarwar has put to me is a baseless charge which is unworthy of the Labour leader in the Scottish Parliament and he should withdraw it.
"In the Budget, which Mr Sarwar never voted for, we put money in to tackle retail crime, to support and work with the retail sector and Mr Sarwar couldn't even bring himself to vote for the provision."
Swinney also hit out at the "unjust" sacking of Scottish Secretary Ian Murray.
The First Minister accused Sarwar of “ramping up the rhetoric”.
But the Labour leader then accused Swinney of “living on another planet”.
“He wants to focus on inputs when the reality is shoplifting is up 124%, and clear-up rates show that fewer than half of all shoplifting crimes are even solved,” Sarwar said.
The Labour leader went on to claim “after years of SNP cuts” to the police, officers only investigate instances of shoplifting where staff are able to name the suspect.
“The situation is so bad that businesses in Edinburgh have had to form a shop watch scheme to try and investigate crimes against their own businesses,” he said.
“Victims of crime, being forced to investigate offences perpetrated against them – is that the best we can do?”
He asked if the First Minister had “given up on keeping communities safe”.
Responding, Swinney said: “On the budget – that Mr Sarwar never voted for – this Government put in record investment of £1.64 billion for policing, enabling us to deliver police services the length and breadth of the country.”
The Scottish Government is also working to ensure there is an “effective police presence” across Scotland, the First Minister added.
Elsewhere, Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer urged the First Minister to enforce legislation to hold Israeli soldiers who are UK citizens residing in Scotland to account.
“This Parliament passed the International Criminal Court Act in 2001, making genocide and war crimes offences in Scots law, regardless of where they are committed,” Greer said.
“Can the First Minister confirm that this law will be applied in full and that anyone in Scotland who has served in Israel’s occupation forces will be investigated - and if necessary, prosecuted for their part in the crimes of genocide and occupation?”
In response, Swinney said: “These would be judgements made independently by the prosecutorial authorities, and it would be wrong for me as First Minister which should or should not happen, but I understand the seriousness of the point that Mr Greer puts to me on this important question.”
