Broadcaster Andrew Marr blasted Scotland's Gaelic signs last night, saying he found them "offensive".
The incendiary comment from the veteran TV newsman came during a question and answer event with Anas Sarwar at Labour's party conference in Liverpool.
The journalist said it was “ridiculous” that the sign for Edinburgh's Haymarket station includes a Gaelic translation.
Mr Marr also endorsed Mr Sarwar to oust John Swinney. He claimed the Labour politician would be a “proper, grown up” first minister of Scotland.
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Mr Marr’s outburst came as the Scottish Labour leader was asked by an audience member if he would be looking to learn lessons from Labour in Wales’s promotion of the Welsh language.
When Mr Sarwar mentioned Gaelic, Mr Marr cut in, saying: "Perhaps I disagree totally with Anas here, I don’t know.
"I find it equally offensive that all sorts of parts of Scotland, which have never been Gaelic, have never had Scots spoken…”
There was a loud round of applause from the audience.
Mr Marr continued: "Why does Haymarket [station in Edinburgh] have to have the Gaelic for Haymarket under it? It’s ridiculous.
"The Scots are made up of many different peoples historically.
"Many different groups of people have come to Scotland and they brought different languages and I think we should let languages rest and prosper where they come from.
"Which means the Gaeltacht remains the Gaeltacht and the English-speaking….’
Mr Sarwar then intervened to ask if Torcuil Crichton, the Gaelic speaking Labour MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, was in the room.
"I sincerely hope not," said Mr Marr.
Mr Sarwar then described his colleague as a "one-man protest".
The Gaelic for Haymarket used by ScotRail, is Margadh an Fheòir, which literally means market of hay.
The translation was first unveiled in 2010.
However, bilingual signs have been around since the mid-90s and were first approved by Labour’s Donald Dewar when he was Secretary of State for Scotland under Tony Blair.
They then flourished under the Labour/LibDem Scottish Executive, whose Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 expected public bodies to have a Gaelic Language Plan.
They have long sparked debate.
Mr Sarwar said he did not “take the Andrew Marr view".
He added: “Right now it feels like the Gaelic language strategy is rooted around signs, symbolism, rather than economic opportunity and outcomes.
"And that's where I think there is a fundamental break."
Towards the end of the session, Mr Marr — who hosts a regular show on LBC — asked the crowd: “Wouldn't it be great to imagine Scotland with a proper, grown up first minister?”
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