Reform in ‘cat fight' with SNP and Labour to win Scottish by-election
Reform UK is in an 'absolute cat fight' with Labour and the SNP to win a bellwether Scottish by-election this week, Richard Tice said, ahead of a campaign visit by Nigel Farage.
Mr Tice, Reform's deputy leader, told The Telegraph that the SNP remained 'hot favourites' to win Thursday's contest for the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse seat in the Scottish Parliament.
But, speaking ahead of a joint visit with Mr Farage, the Reform leader, to the constituency on Monday, he said they were 'chuckling at the apparent desperation' of Labour and the SNP over what to do about Reform.
Between them, he said both parties had 'completely dominated' Scottish politics for decades and now appeared 'terrified'. The by-election is being viewed as a bellwether for next year's Scottish Parliament contest.
First Minister John Swinney claimed last week that the Labour campaign had collapsed and the by-election was a straight fight between the SNP and Reform.
However, Mr Tice said there was a 'lot of management of expectations' going on and Mr Swinney's ploy was to try and get Labour supporters to vote tactically for the SNP.
The Boston and Skegness MP also said that he and Mr Farage would use a press conference in Aberdeen on Monday morning to provide more details on Reform's plan to scrap net-zero targets.
Sir Keir Starmer's ban on further exploration in the North Sea is deeply unpopular in the north east of Scotland, where thousands of oil and gas workers are based.
Mr Tice said Reform wanted to 'drill, Scotland, drill' and to 'change the course of direction for the Scottish oil and gas industry, and therefore the prospect of jobs and wealth creation.'
Mr Farage's trip to Aberdeen and the by-election are his first campaign visits to Scotland for years, with Mr Tice saying he hoped it was a significant moment for the party.
Although he failed to make a single trip north of the border during last year's general election, Reform still attracted seven per cent of the popular vote.
Its support has surged over the past year and one poll has predicted it will be the second largest party at Holyrood after next year's election.
Victory in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse would be Reform's first election win in Scotland. However, even a second-placed finish for Mr Farage's party would be humiliating for Labour.
The by-election was supposed to be a straight fight between the SNP and Labour when it was called in mid-April, following the death of Scottish government minister Christina McKelvie.
But both parties' activists have been left surprised by the strength of support for Reform on the doorsteps and are worried that it could pull off an unlikely win.
Mr Tice said: 'Obviously the SNP are hot favourites but we've also noticed a lot of chat (Reform could win). I know our team, are working very hard and let's see.
'These things work in riddles. For all we know there could be a lot of deliberate managing expectations by the SNP and Labour. It's hard to tell.'
He said Reform has had a 'really good campaign' and it is 'about getting the vote out on the day.'
However, he added: 'We're sort of chuckling at the apparent desperation from two parties that have completely dominated Scottish politics for the last three or four decades. And all of a sudden they're in an absolute cat fight. And they both seem to be terrified of Reform.'
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar had accused Reform UK of 'dog whistle' racism over a campaign advert claiming he wants to 'prioritise the Pakistani community.'
However, Reform has denied it is racist and insisted it was merely highlighting Mr Sarwar's own words, with Mr Farage accusing him of introducing sectarianism into Scottish politics.
Mr Swinney said: 'Be in no doubt, Nigel Farage doesn't care about Scotland. He poses a threat to our values and must be stopped, and only the SNP can do that.
'In this by-election, the SNP is the only party investing in Scotland's future, delivering for families and confronting Farage. On Thursday, vote SNP to stop Farage.'
Stephen Flynn, the SNP's Westminster leader and Aberdeen South MP, added: 'He won't like the comparison, but it's the one he deserves - Nigel Farage is just as dangerous to Scotland's long-term energy and economic future as the activists who would shut down the oil and gas industry tomorrow.
'Those who work in the energy sector understand that there is an obvious path to follow that protects the oil and gas jobs of today whilst at the same time developing the net-zero jobs of tomorrow – and by doing so you can secure skills and investment for generations to come.'
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