Author Irvine Welsh has called out the Scottish Conservatives for referencing iconic Trainspotting quotes to proclaim an anti-SNP message as part of their political campaign.
The Scottish Tories have reworded the famous Choose Life quotes, which originally featured in Danny Boyle’s 1996 film adapted from Irvine’s novel, to bash the SNP party and promote themselves.
Their message, styled in a similar fashion to the iconic film’s poster, reads: ‘Choose another future. Choose life without the SNP.’
Some of the lines in their poster included slogans such as ‘choose blaming the TOAAARIES’, ‘choose a hard border with your neighbours’, and ‘choose the worst drug deaths in Europe’.
Welsh reserved some choice words in response, tweeting: ‘Get f***d you c**ts.’
Activist, author and campaigner against poverty Jack Monroe supported Welsh and commented: ‘The f***ing AUDACITY MY GOD.’
In the cult film, Ewan McGregor famously performs the Choose Life soliloquy at the start as protagonist Renton, a 26-year-old unemployed heroin addict living with parents in the Edinburgh ward of Leith.
As he’s running through the city streets, he says: ‘Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a f* big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed-interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of fabrics.’
He concludes: ‘Choose your future. Choose life… But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin’ else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you’ve got heroin?’
The drama, which also stars Johnny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner and Robert Carlyle, follows the misadventures of young men in Edinburgh trying to find their way out of joblessness, aimless relationships and drug addiction.
Welsh has been a long-time critic of the Conservative party and has previously been a passionate supporter of Scottish independence.
Back in 2014, he called out Tory MP George Osborne when he quoted Trainspotting during a party conference speech.
‘Choose jobs. Choose enterprise. Choose security. Choose prosperity, investment, fairness, freedom. Choose David Cameron, choose the Conservatives, choose the future!’ Osborne announced.
Welsh reacted by tweeting: ‘Would rather have Fred and Rose West quote my characters on child care than that c**t Osbourne quote them on choice.’
He later added: ‘Obviously not impressed by Osbourne’s Trainspotting refs, but there are bigger reasons to detest that twat than him ripping off a poxy book.’
