Nigel Farage hides from public in Hamilton by-election campaign visit
The Reform UK leader was in Aberdeen on Monday morning, his first visit to Scotland in six years, where he held a press conference and was due to head to Hamilton for a walkabout later in the afternoon.
But, journalists were left waiting in a Premier Inn car park in the town, with no sign of the Reform UK leader.
Protesters also targeted the Reform UK campaign office in Hamilton.
He was due to arrive for a press call at 2.15pm, but did not show.
READ MORE: Scottish Labour councillor defects to Reform UK
By around 3.30pm, members of the Scottish press had begun to leave the agreed meeting point and started to head to the Reform UK campaign office in the town, where Farage was rumoured to be.
A note on the form to apply for media accreditation said: "Thank you for applying for media accreditation to our upcoming campaign day in Hamilton with Nigel Farage.
"This will take place on Monday 2 June. Arrive 14:00 for a prompt 14:15 start. Meeting point to be confirmed to accredited journalists."
Farage posted a picture of himself with Reform UK activists at 3.30pm, writing: "Arrived at our campaign HQ in Hamilton".
It is understood that the photograph was taken at the back of the campaign HQ, which journalists could not access.
Protesters could be heard shouting "No show Nigel" outside of the campaign hub.
It is understood that Farage left Hamilton.
Earlier, Farage was pictured campaigning in Larkhall with candidate Ross Lambie and newly defected Scottish Labour councillor Jamie McGuire.
Out and about in Larkhall with @CllrRossLambie. Come and say hello! 🏴 pic.twitter.com/1U8oM5rrWZ — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) June 2, 2025
Later in the afternoon, protesters could be seen arguing and shouting at each other as anti-racist and pro-Reform activists clashed outside the campaign hub.
It comes after Farage accused The Herald of conspiring with protesters in Aberdeen and clashed with the press.
Reform UK have been contacted for comment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
28 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Max Johnston hopes club success by Scottish players can boost national team
The 21-year-old right-back was part of Sturm Graz's championship-winning side, while Napoli pair Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour, Liverpool's Andy Robertson and Celtic's Anthony Ralston have also met up with the national team for the friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein fresh from top-flight glory. In addition, Lewis Ferguson captained Bologna to their Coppa Italia triumph, Josh Doig helped Sassuolo to the Serie B title and Grant Hanley won League One with Birmingham. 🏴 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑡𝑡 & 𝐵𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑦 💙 @sscnapoli @ScotlandNT — Lega Serie A (@SerieA) June 4, 2025 'It's amazing to see how many trophies in so many different countries that the boys have won,' said Johnston. 'It's amazing to see Scottish players doing so well abroad and it's really encouraging for us that players are starting to win titles now and win cups, so I think that's going to be huge for us. 'As a footballer you want to be a winner, so it's great to see. That'll definitely help us.' Johnston, who moved from Motherwell to Austria two years ago, also appeared in the Champions League as he made 30 appearances for Sturm Graz in the season just finished. The campaign before that, he played 27 times as his side won the league and cup double. Johnston is thrilled with the way his move from Motherwell to the Austrian Bundesliga two years ago has panned out so far. 'It was really enjoyable for me winning the league over in Austria, it was a good season,' he said. 'I feel like I've improved definitely by getting the amount of minutes that I've managed to get over the last year or so. 'As a footballer you need to play to continue to learn, so I feel as though I've been learning and improving every week. 'The Austrian league is a great league for young players. They really try and push the younger generation and give you an opportunity to play. I've really enjoyed the experience on and off the pitch.' Johnston's progress at club level was rewarded when he made his Scotland debut as a late substitute in the Nations League play-off win away to Greece in March, and he now intends to push for more regular involvement with the national team. 'I've got a small taste for it now and it's just made me hungry for more,' he said. 'I want to try and bring what I can to the squad. I like to get forward from my position and create attacking chances, so hopefully that's what I can do for the squad.' Johnston is inspired by his father Allan, a former Hearts, Sunderland, Rangers, Middlesbrough and Kilmarnock winger who won 18 Scotland caps between 1998 and 2002. 'I'm so lucky to have grown up with someone who was involved in the game and he's been a huge help to me, him and my mum as well,' said Johnston. 'Obviously, they've been coming over to Austria and helping me out over there as well, so I'm very lucky for that.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
France plans to begin intercepting small boats at sea, says UK Home Office
The French government plans to begin intercepting small boats carrying asylum seekers even if they are already at sea, a Home Office source has said. In a move that NGOs claim will endanger lives, it was claimed that French officials agreed this week to draw up plans to begin intervening in waters close to beaches and inland canals. A Home Office source said the plan was intended to clamp down on boats that 'taxi' up to French beaches from nearby waterways. 'The French have said this week they will intervene to tackle the taxi boats which are operating inland and near to French beaches to help prevent these dangerous crossings,' the source said. Keir Starmer is attempting to fight off a growing challenge from Nigel Farage's Reform UK, and Labour party officials are convinced that rising irregular immigration numbers will be a key issue in future elections. Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, expressed her concern on Monday that French officials were not intercepting boats at sea 'as swiftly as possible' after a record 1,195 people reached the UK in 19 small boats on Saturday. It took the total number of such arrivals so far this year to 14,812, the highest on record. It was reported that French officials stopped fewer than 200 people from making the journey, but Home Office sources said French authorities intervened to stop nearly 500 people trying to get into small boats on that day. There was footage of a gendarmes looking on from the beach as people attempting to reach the UK ran into the water and climbed onboard small boats. Current guidelines prevent French police from intervening offshore unless it is to rescue passengers in distress. In practice, the policy means officers can stop boats leaving the beach by puncturing them, but are restricted once they are in the water. In February, Bruno Retailleau, the French interior minister, said he wanted a change to the rules to enable officers to intervene in the water up to 300 metres from the coast. 'We have to review our organisation so that we can board these boats … arriving to pick up migrants,' he said. Le Figaro newspaper reported earlier this year that ministry officials were still working on what were being termed the 'feet in the water' guidelines to implement the policy. However, the French maritime daily newspaper Le Marin said the proposed change of rules had been opposed by local police officers. Cooper has said she wants French border police to intercept the taxi boats not only in the shallow waters as they leave the beaches but also when they make their way from rivers and inland waterways to pick up people on the beach. With heatwaves forecast this summer, there are concerns still larger numbers of people will attempt the perilous crossing. Traffickers have circumvented rules by asking asylum seekers to wade waist-high into the Channel, where they are picked up by dinghies that were launched from inland canals. French government sources told the Telegraph on Wednesday that ministers overseeing migration policy had given the green light to stopping boats in the water while respecting the law of the sea. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion It is understood that the French authorities have said they will draw up plans to intercept boats in shallow waters within weeks. Cooper is also planning a new law to fast-track the removal of asylum seekers who arrive from countries deemed to be safe. A Home Office analysis released on Wednesday morning claimed that the record numbers of people arriving in the UK via small boats could be attributed to favourable weather and greater numbers being crammed into vessels. Figures show there were twice as many 'red days' – when there are calmer conditions in the Channel, meaning crossings are more likely – in the first four months of this year as there were in the same period in 2024. In the year to April, 47% of boats crossing the Channel had 60 or more people onboard, compared with 2% in the year to April 2022. The Migration Observatory at Oxford University challenged the Home Office analysis, saying there was no evidence that weather was a major factor in long-term increases in arrivals.
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Who is Ross Lambie? Reform UK's candidate in crucial Hamilton by-election
Ross Lambie had a rocky start to his Reform UK career. At a Glasgow chippy in March Lambie, a South Lanarkshire Conservative councillor, alongside Jamie McGuire, a councillor from Renfrewshire, were revealed as the latest Nigel Farage recruits. But Richard Tice, the party's deputy leader, couldn't remember their names. Despite his lowly beginnings in the party, Lambie, 41, has had a gaffe-free campaign in what Reform regard as a hostile media environment — particularly compared with his Labour counterpart, Davy Russell, whose party declined to field him in a TV debate and in other local hustings. Bookmakers have Reform second-favourite to win on Thursday. But party insiders say, no matter the result, Lambie's performance in Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse has earned him a crack at a winnable list ranking to become an MSP at next year's Holyrood elections. A Reform UK source said Lambie had acquitted himself well during the campaign, and had been a great ambassador for the party. 'He has also proved we have a wealth of available talent who can step up to the plate for the Holyrood elections next year. Ross will be high on our list of prospective MSPs,' they added. Defection to Reform came as surprise Elected as a South Lanarkshire councillor for the Clydesdale South ward in 2022, Lambie previously stood for the Conservatives in the 2021 Holyrood election for Central Scotland and in the UK general election in 2024, without success. Lambie was born and raised in a small mining village in South Lanarkshire to working-class parents from Larkhall. He describes himself as an architect, farmer, entrepreneur and former lecturer. He graduated as an architect from the Glasgow School of Art and set up his own practice 17 years ago; he also teaches architectural students at various universities across the UK. His architectural portfolio, as part of Ross Alexander Lambie Architects, contains an array of prime residential properties in central London, including a luxury development at 80 Holland Park. The Holland Park development Poppy Corbett, another South Lanarkshire councillor who left the Conservatives for Reform UK, said Lambie was a 'salt of the earth kind of guy — quiet but very intelligent'. She added: 'He is very passionate about areas on the council that he cared about. He's sociable and the type of person you could go for a pint with.' One Conservative politician in South Lanarkshire said she was surprised he had defected to Reform because he seemed 'more of a centrist and not the sort to join them'. Asked what his main priorities would be if elected, Lambie said he would 'tackle the horrendous bonfire of taxpayers' cash on 130 unaccountable quangos and countless more arm's length organisations'. Lambie added that he would push for performance indicators 'at all levels of the civil service, local and government, to ensure that failure is no longer rewarded or swept under the carpet'. The architect also described Holyrood as 'the luxury parliament stuffed with invisible MSPs' and vowed to call out MSPs' and other parties' 'failures to deliver for the people of Scotland'. 'They should be ashamed and I'm looking forward to reminding them of their duty,' he said. Architect of his own destiny After starting his career in London, Lambie moved back home to Scotland to raise his children. He is married, his wife is from Malaysia, and they have a daughter. He has a small hobby farm just outside the constituency and a dog and six cows. According to his council register of interests, he is a director of his own architect firm, and a director of a land assets company. He owns about 80 acres of land and forestry near Broadford, on the Isle of Skye and is a member of the Highland Cattle Society.
