Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has said the rise of Reform UK is partly attributable to racism. In an interview with BBC Scotland's Scotcast podcast, Swinney argued that while some supporters hold racist views, others are simply angry and disillusioned with society.
Swinney stated: 'Part of it is made up of people who genuinely hold views with which I profoundly disagree. There will be some views in there which will be intolerant of people from other countries and other races, racist views.' He added that many supporters are 'angry' and 'fed up with the state of our society and our community', accepting some responsibility as First Minister.
The SNP leader rejected Reform's immigration policies, asserting there is 'no rational argument against immigration' given Scotland's shortage of working-age adults. He noted that every sector reports a shortage of people, not just skills, and argued for a pragmatic approach to attract migrants.
Swinney acknowledged the persistence of racist views in Scotland, drawing parallels to the National Front in the 1970s. He said: 'These sentiments have not been far away from us. We're back there now.' Polls suggest Reform UK could become the second largest party in the Scottish Parliament after the May election.
