First Minister John Swinney has said Scotland must be “alive” to the “threat” of Nigel Farage, following Reform UK’s strong performance in England’s local elections. Speaking to the PA news agency at a climate conference in Glasgow, Swinney accused Labour and the Conservatives of making a “fundamental mistake” by “cosying up” to the right-wing party.
Reform UK won its first mayoralty and came second in two others, while also overturning a large Labour majority at a Westminster by-election. The party returned more than 100 councillors by Friday afternoon, prompting Swinney to describe Farage as a “real political threat” whose politics are “populist, deceptive, and give people false hope”.
The SNP leader stressed his intention to confront Farage’s politics, which he called “divisive” and “fundamentally damaging to our society and our democratic values”. He warned that cosying up to Farage, as he claims Labour and the Tories have done, only emboldens him.
Recent polling suggests Reform UK could win over 10 MSPs at next year’s Holyrood election. A Survation poll for Diffley Partnership put Reform at 14% on the constituency vote and 12% on the regional list, while the SNP led with 36% and 28% respectively. Labour stood at 22% on both ballots.
In response, Reform UK—which was not invited to a recent summit on far-right extremism—called Swinney a “democracy denier”. A Scottish Conservative spokesperson argued that Swinney talks up Reform because every vote for the party increases the chances of an SNP pro-independence majority. Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said the driving force behind polarisation is the failure of the SNP and Tory governments.
