Farage 'can't be trusted to oppose SNP' says Scotland in Union

The Herald Scotland

2 days ago

The by-election was called following the death of the constituency MSP, Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie who had held the seat since 2011. Prior to 2011 the seat was held by Labour.
But Mr Farage's populist right party Reform UK has been campaigning vigorously in the area boosted by its success in local elections in England earlier this month and polling showing it is gathering more support in Scotland. He is due to visit Hamilton in the coming days.
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A survey by Survation published on May 7 put it on course for becoming the main opposition party at the Holyrood elections next year taking 21 seats with the SNP remaining the largest party on 58. Labour would take 18 and the Conservatives 13, an analysis of the poll suggested.
Calling on supporters to back Labour candidate Davy Russell a press statement from Scotland in Union pointed to a recent interview given by Mr Farage when he said Reform MSPs would sooner allow the SNP into power at Holyrood next year than back Anas Sarwar to become First Minister.
Previously, it had been assumed that Holyrood's unionist parties would back Mr Sarwar to become First Minister over John Swinney, if Labour emerges as the largest pro-UK party.
The late SNP MSP Christina McKelvie (Image: PA) The scenario would have opened up a route to Labour seizing control of the Scottish Government even if the SNP was the largest party, if there is no pro-independence majority after elections in May next year.
Asked if Mr Sarwar needed Reform votes to become First Minister, Mr Farage told The Times on April 18: 'I'm not that worried about the SNP. Yes, they're going to have a resurgence. Scotland is not going to leave the United Kingdom. It's not going to happen in a month of Sundays.
'We're not doing a deal with Labour. No: we're just not going to do it.'
Pointing to the comments made by Mr Farage in April, Scotland in Union chair Alastair Cameron said a vote for Reform risks letting the SNP in 'by the back door' and warned voters not to make the by-election a protest against the UK government.
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'Nigel Farage can't be trusted to stand against Scottish nationalism and the SNP. Despite two decades of nationalist failure in government, Reform is willing to let the SNP remain in power," said Mr Cameron.
'Some voters may be tempted to use this by-election to protest against governments at Holyrood or Westminster, but a vote for Reform risks letting the SNP in by the back door.
'Scotland is best served by getting rid of this incompetent SNP government – and in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election that journey starts with voting for the Scottish Labour candidate.
'We need politicians who will work in Scotland's interests. Farage's latest statements suggest that the only interests he prioritises are his own."
A row between Reform UK and Labour has dominated the campaign since Monday when the former party was accused of releasing a "racist" advert targeting Mr Sarwar.
Mr Farage played the online ad at a press conference in London on Tuesday, before claiming the Scottish Labour leader had "introduced sectarianism into Scottish politics".
On Thursday Mr Sarwar brand the Clacton MP a "poisonous man who doesn't understand Scotland" and said he will challenge him "anytime, any place" as the controversy continued.
He insisted: "The people of Scotland will utterly reject him."
Hitting out at his rival, Mr Sarwar told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "This man has no idea where Hamilton is. I've been in Hamilton most days, I know other political parties have been in Hamilton a lot.
"What I suggest to Nigel Farage is he should ask his chauffeur to put Hamilton into Google Maps.
"Come up here. I'll challenge him anytime, any place, in Hamilton, any town hall, and he can challenge me on my views, I'll challenge him on his views, and you can see that the people of Scotland will utterly reject him, because he can't win there and he can't win in Scotland.
"This man wants to pretend he's a great champion of working people across our country."
But Mr Sarwar, who worked as a dentist before going into elected politics, added: "While I was working in Scotland's NHS in one of the most deprived communities in the country, he was on the Brussels gravy train.
"While I'm campaigning to defend our NHS and save our NHS, this man wants to privatise our NHS.
"He's got no interest in Scotland. He probably couldn't even tell you where Hamilton was on the map."
In the ad - which both Labour and the SNP have demanded be removed from Facebook - Reform claims Mr Sarwar, who was born in Glasgow to Pakistani Muslim parents, will "prioritise" Pakistani people.
However clips of the Scottish Labour leader speaking do not show him saying that.
Speaking about the on Tuesday, Mr Farage said: "All we've done is to put out the exact words spoken by him without any comment.
"We've said nothing, just that we will represent the people of that constituency.
"The fact that they, having chosen to go down the sectarian route, choose to throw accusations back at us says to me that we are winning."
Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, was asked by The Herald on Sunday in an interview in Hamilton this month if Reform would work with Labour in Holyrood to keep out the SNP.
He said: "Let's wait and see."
With polling suggesting his party could become the next UK Government he was asked if it would agree to a second independence referendum if there was a pro-independence majority in Holyrood.
He replied: "No. There was a referendum here and it was convincing and we need to keep focusing on running governments and councils up and down the UK better so people have more money in their pockets and better schools," he said.
He went on to describe himself as a "proud Unionist" who always wore a Union Jack badge on his jacket.
Reform UK was approached to respond to Mr Cameron's comments.