Nigel Farage met by protesters on visit to Scotland as he criticises Holyrood funding

Daily Record

02-06-2025

Nigel Farage has signalled he would launch a full-scale review of how public services are paid for in Scotland if he becomes the next prime minister.
The Reform UK leader said today the Barnett Formula - used by the UK Treasury to determine how much money is given to the Scottish Government each year - is "out of date".
The Clacton MP also said he wanted to see Holyrood "raise a bit more of its own revenue" and claimed the Scottish economy wouldn't grow unless the decline in North Sea oil and gas production was reversed.
And he claimed "devolution is here to stay" - despite John Swinney previously warning Reform would look to abolish the Scottish Parliament if they took power at Westminster.
Speaking on a visit to Aberdeen Harbour, Farage also accused members of the Scottish media of leaking details of his press conference to a small but vocal group of protesters who had gathered outside.
He was also downbeat on his party's chances of winning the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election - claiming the prospect of beating both Labour and the SNP was "improbable".
Farage has previously been scathing of how the Scottish Goverment is funded. During a leaders' TV debate ahead of the 2015 general election, the then UKIP leader said tax payers in England were "cheesed off" at the amount of public money given to Holyrood.
The Barnett formula is a system of grants which dictates the level of public spending in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Under it, extra funding - or cuts - from Westminster are allocated according to the population size of each nation and which powers are devolved to them.
The system has long proved controversial as it means public spending per head is considerably different in different parts of the UK. It has typically been 20 per cent higher in Scotland than in England.
Asked today by the Record if he still viewed public spending in Scotland as too high, and whether he would scrap the Barnett Formula, Farage said "of course" there was an argument for it to be looked at.
He said: "The Barnett Formula seems to me to be somewhat out of date. What I'd like to see is a Scottish Government that's able to raise a bit more of its own revenue, and a Scottish economy that has genuine growth.
"And I don't believe that can happen without this sector (North Sea oil and gas) booming.
"The Barnett Formula goes back to the 1970s. Is there an argument that it should be looked at again? Of course there is.
"But frankly, if you look at welfare dependency, if you look educational standards, the idea that 50 billion this year going to Scotland isn't going to be enough until it has an economy that is thriving."
Pressed by the Record on whether his party was supportive of devolution in general , Farage added: "Devolution should extended to England, right down to the counties.
"Devolution is here to stay. Sadly, over the course of the last 20 years or so, devolution has not worked very well."
Farage also doubled down on his attacks on Anas Sarwar, with the Reform UK leader using a visit to Scotland to again accuse him of 'sectarian politics'.
He claimed the Scottish Labour leader has a 'record of obsession' – citing a speech he gave in Holyrood in 2020 as evidence of this.
The Hamilton by-election race has been dominated by a row over a Reform advert which has been branded 'racist' by Reform's opponents, and which claims that Sarwar will 'prioritise' the Pakistani community in Scotland.
But Farage today insisted Reform UK 'don't talk about race at all'.
He pointed out his party's chairman, Zia Yusuf, was someone who 'is Scottish born, but comes from parents who come from the Indian subcontinent'.
Farage continued: 'We think everybody should be treated equally. We object, very strongly, to the segmentation of people into different types.'
Michael Marra, Scottish Labour finance spokesman, said: "Nigel Farage has said the quiet part out loud and admitted he plans to cut funding for Scotland's public services.
"He has already said he wants to privatise the NHS and now he is planning to take an axe to funding for the rest of our frontline services.
"This is yet another sign of how out of touch this charlatan is. The SNP don't deserve to win but it is crystal clear that Reform do not have the answers that Scotland needs.
"Only Scottish Labour will stand up for our public services and deliver a new direction for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse."