Latest news with #StandUpToRacism
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Can Reform win big in Scotland? The establishment is terrified
Something that the progressive Left always feared but never took very seriously seems to have happened: the accusation of 'racist' has lost much of its power to silence opponents. Take Scotland. There has been an avalanche of media and political condemnation, bordering on hysteria, against Nigel Farage and the prospect that his party, Reform UK, will do well in this week's by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. The First Minister himself, John Swinney, used the R-word to describe Farage at an election rally at the weekend. But to what effect? Yesterday, Swinney's predecessor as first minister, Humza Yousaf, took to the stage at an event organised by Stand Up To Racism to inform us that Scotland, on whose behalf Yousaf claimed to be speaking, does not welcome Farage or his party. We'll discover the truth of this assertion when the votes are counted on Thursday, but all the polling and anecdotal evidence from the campaign trail suggests that at least a significant proportion of this decidedly working-class constituency does not share Yousaf's views. Worryingly for the main parties, recent front page splashes by Scottish tabloids and dire warnings of Scotland being engulfed in the shadow of 1930s Germany seem to be having far less of an impact than what might have been the case in days gone by. That is not to say that Scots in west central Scotland are relaxed about the arrival of a 'far-Right' party in the Scottish Parliament and in town halls, or the consequences of that party's policies on race relations. It's more that they seem to have grown somewhat cynical about repeated cries of 'Wolf!' and the subsequent non-appearance of said sheep-bothering predator. After decades in which ordinary people across the country were warned that criticising high levels of immigration was the equivalent of goose-stepping along Nuremberg High Street, such colourful 'lessons from history' are taken significantly less seriously than in the past. Partly this is down to fascism fatigue: when everyone to the Right of Ed Miliband is a fascist, then no one is. And when commonly held opinions on immigration or gender ideology are considered by many to define the new fascism, the best response is to accept the new definition with a resigned sigh and get on with your life. Commentators often seek answers as to the perceived increase in the kind of political disillusion that has led to the relative success of Reform UK in recent opinion polls: they should look no further than how the definition of 'far-Right' has shifted in the last few decades, from violent bullying of political opponents and the subversion of democratic norms, to believing that you cannot change your biological sex. Much, though not all, of these culture war shenanigans have penetrated the previously comfortable political settlement in Scotland, where anything outside centre-Left opinion, as represented by the SNP, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, is seen as beyond the pale. The Scottish Conservatives are tolerated at Holyrood because they have never seriously challenged for office, nor are ever likely to, and they provide a handy contrast by which for lazy progressives can signal their many virtues. It's a cosy consensus just waiting to be blown apart, and Reform UK may be just about to do that. It was arrogant – but expected – for Yousaf to declare that Farage is unwelcome in Scotland. And of course, as has happened south of the border, all this attention given to Reform by politicians who sound increasingly desperate in their shrill warnings has done little to deter voters from supporting this most disruptive of new political forces. Has it ever occurred to the leaders of the SNP and Scottish Labour, I wonder, if they might consider their own policy and rhetorical failures as part of the reason that disgruntled voters might be turning to Reform? Rather than hosting 'anti-Right-wing summits' to warn poor, stupid, ignorant voters of the drawbacks of Farage and his party, might it be appropriate to try to recapture those voters' support by addressing their priorities? For some grandstanding MSPs and MPs, the rise of Reform is an excellent opportunity to remind voters which side they would have been on at Cable Street, even if the natural response to such assertions is: 'And?' And so a political class that already stands accused of forgetting how to talk like ordinary voters, who are no longer seen as concerned with the public's priorities, are compounding their mistakes by using hysterical language about a party that many Scots – by no means a majority or even a plurality, it has to be pointed out – might be considering flirting with at the ballot box. No one can say with any confidence who will win the Hamilton by-election on Thursday, although if I had to place hard-earned money on the outcome I'd say the SNP followed by Reform in second place. It could be any other combination of the leading three parties on the night. The point is that, at least for now, Reform is one of those leading parties, and I would caution any politician who, in Thursday's aftermath, might feel attempted to accuse local voters of racism or support for fascism. Worried politicians of the establishment parties love to attribute the rise of Reform to either the devilishly populist and dishonest rhetorical skills of Farage himself or to the ignorance of voters who never got a university degree, and are therefore uniquely vulnerable to Reform's message. Perhaps there needs to be an injection of honesty: the culprit who is guilty of the disillusion that has led to a public appetite for new solutions, new language and perhaps a new party, is staring back at them from their own mirrors. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
17 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Can Reform win big in Scotland? The establishment is terrified
Something that the progressive Left always feared but never took very seriously seems to have happened: the accusation of 'racist' has lost much of its power to silence opponents. Take Scotland. There has been an avalanche of media and political condemnation, bordering on hysteria, against Nigel Farage and the prospect that his party, Reform UK, will do well in this week's by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. The First Minister himself, John Swinney, used the R-word to describe Farage at an election rally at the weekend. But to what effect? Yesterday, Swinney's predecessor as first minister, Humza Yousaf, took to the stage at an event organised by Stand Up To Racism to inform us that Scotland, on whose behalf Yousaf claimed to be speaking, does not welcome Farage or his party. We'll discover the truth of this assertion when the votes are counted on Thursday, but all the polling and anecdotal evidence from the campaign trail suggests that at least a significant proportion of this decidedly working-class constituency does not share Yousaf's views. Worryingly for the main parties, recent front page splashes by Scottish tabloids and dire warnings of Scotland being engulfed in the shadow of 1930s Germany seem to be having far less of an impact than what might have been the case in days gone by. That is not to say that Scots in west central Scotland are relaxed about the arrival of a 'far-Right' party in the Scottish Parliament and in town halls, or the consequences of that party's policies on race relations. It's more that they seem to have grown somewhat cynical about repeated cries of 'Wolf!' and the subsequent non-appearance of said sheep-bothering predator. After decades in which ordinary people across the country were warned that criticising high levels of immigration was the equivalent of goose-stepping along Nuremberg High Street, such colourful 'lessons from history' are taken significantly less seriously than in the past. Partly this is down to fascism fatigue: when everyone to the Right of Ed Miliband is a fascist, then no one is. And when commonly held opinions on immigration or gender ideology are considered by many to define the new fascism, the best response is to accept the new definition with a resigned sigh and get on with your life. Commentators often seek answers as to the perceived increase in the kind of political disillusion that has led to the relative success of Reform UK in recent opinion polls: they should look no further than how the definition of 'far-Right' has shifted in the last few decades, from violent bullying of political opponents and the subversion of democratic norms, to believing that you cannot change your biological sex. Much, though not all, of these culture war shenanigans have penetrated the previously comfortable political settlement in Scotland, where anything outside centre-Left opinion, as represented by the SNP, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, is seen as beyond the pale. The Scottish Conservatives are tolerated at Holyrood because they have never seriously challenged for office, nor are ever likely to, and they provide a handy contrast by which for lazy progressives can signal their many virtues. It's a cosy consensus just waiting to be blown apart, and Reform UK may be just about to do that. It was arrogant – but expected – for Yousaf to declare that Farage is unwelcome in Scotland. And of course, as has happened south of the border, all this attention given to Reform by politicians who sound increasingly desperate in their shrill warnings has done little to deter voters from supporting this most disruptive of new political forces. Has it ever occurred to the leaders of the SNP and Scottish Labour, I wonder, if they might consider their own policy and rhetorical failures as part of the reason that disgruntled voters might be turning to Reform? Rather than hosting 'anti-Right-wing summits' to warn poor, stupid, ignorant voters of the drawbacks of Farage and his party, might it be appropriate to try to recapture those voters' support by addressing their priorities? For some grandstanding MSPs and MPs, the rise of Reform is an excellent opportunity to remind voters which side they would have been on at Cable Street, even if the natural response to such assertions is: 'And?' And so a political class that already stands accused of forgetting how to talk like ordinary voters, who are no longer seen as concerned with the public's priorities, are compounding their mistakes by using hysterical language about a party that many Scots – by no means a majority or even a plurality, it has to be pointed out – might be considering flirting with at the ballot box. No one can say with any confidence who will win the Hamilton by-election on Thursday, although if I had to place hard-earned money on the outcome I'd say the SNP followed by Reform in second place. It could be any other combination of the leading three parties on the night. The point is that, at least for now, Reform is one of those leading parties, and I would caution any politician who, in Thursday's aftermath, might feel attempted to accuse local voters of racism or support for fascism. Worried politicians of the establishment parties love to attribute the rise of Reform to either the devilishly populist and dishonest rhetorical skills of Farage himself or to the ignorance of voters who never got a university degree, and are therefore uniquely vulnerable to Reform's message. Perhaps there needs to be an injection of honesty: the culprit who is guilty of the disillusion that has led to a public appetite for new solutions, new language and perhaps a new party, is staring back at them from their own mirrors.
The National
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Nigel Farage clashes with Scottish media over Aberdeen protests
Farage, speaking to a Reform UK press conference organised in Aberdeen, said he would be taking a question from our sister paper The Herald last due to unfounded allegations that they had revealed the event's location to Stand Up To Racism campaigners outside. NEW: Nigel Farage's visit to Scotland has been met by a group of protesters brandishing banners and chanting 'refugees are welcome here' — The National (@ScotNational) June 2, 2025 Around 20 demonstrators had turned up to protest the Reform UK leader, holding banners with messages including 'Farage not welcome in Scotland' and chanting slogans such as 'Farage, Farage we know you, you're a racist through and through'. The chants were audible throughout Farage's press conference, which saw him announce the defection of Scottish Tory councillor Duncan Massey to Reform UK. Taking the final question at the press conference, Farage said: 'Now, The Herald. It seems that you're involved with this group of protesters outside.' Responding to a flat denial, Farage went on: 'Well, it's funny isn't it? That you come, and your newspaper also manages to have another one of your correspondents as a protest correspondent. So you knew more about this than we did.' Andrew Learmonth, The Herald's political editor, said: 'That's not true at all Nigel, sorry.' As Farage expressed disbelief, Learmonth went on: 'Absolutely not. We have two reporters in Aberdeen. Come on.' The Reform UK leader continued to express disbelief, adding: 'You must have so many staff and so much money it must be remarkable.' The BBC's James Cook then interrupted, saying that 'to be clear' The Herald were not the only outlet with more than one reporter on site. Farage then said: 'Fair enough, if you say that, I believe you.' Learmonth responded: 'I don't know if you do believe me, but I didn't.' READ MORE: Scottish Tory councillor defects to Reform UK Responding to another member of the media saying the allegations were 'not on', Farage said: 'Well this location was only sent to you guys. 'It wasn't put out on the public wires, we didn't put it out to our membership, and yet they knew. So it came from one of you.' Fraser Adams, a spokesperson for the Stand Up To Racism campaigners, said Farage's suggestion that they had been tipped off by the media was 'absolute nonsense'. Adams went on: 'We are a committed nationwide group of anti-racists. We have our own methods of organising, we have our own system of information. We've got this information on our own. 'We knew they've been coming to Aberdeen for weeks. We didn't find out where they were meeting until this morning. You can't get this many people to Aberdeen without somebody noticing 'Aberdeen's an anti-racist city. There are people who are passionate in making sure that Farage does not come to Scotland un-countered, unprotested. We don't need any tips.'
The National
3 days ago
- Politics
- The National
'Scotland is not an island of strangers', says Humza Yousaf
Speaking at the Stand Up To Racism 'Stop Reform 2026' summit in The Boardwalk, Glasgow, Yousaf stressed the need to mobilise against growing far-right rhetoric, emboldened by Reform and Keir Starmer's language regarding immigration, whilst highlighting the contributions made to Scotland by migrants over several decades. Yousaf criticised Starmer's language in a speech which drew comparisons to Enoch Powell, saying: "Let me be absolutely clear, Prime Minister: Scotland is not an island of strangers. "We are a nation that is proud of its many cultures, many languages, many threads. That tartan, each colour, each strand is different, but woven together to something strong, something beautiful, that we are proud of in Scotland." READ MORE: Labour have 'given up' on by-election amid SNP-Reform contest, says John Swinney The Glasgow Pollok MSP also spoke at length about the contributions from and importance of migrants in Scotland and the rest of the UK. 'This country could not survive without immigrants. This continent requires immigration if we are to prosper", he said. 'I ask you, in the 1960s, who drove the buses that kept this city moving? Immigrants. Who kept the factories running when there was labour shortages, like my grandfather, who worked in the Singer Sewing Machine factory in Clydebank? 'It's immigrants today, when our loved ones need care, be that in the NHS or social care system — who is there, propping up our vital public services? Immigrants. 'When the crops need picking, the parcels need delivering, children need teaching, who's ready and willing to put in the hard graft? Immigrants.' The SNP MSP went on to 'bust myths' peddled by anti-immigration rhetoric, noting the significant economic contributions made by migrants through taxes and job creation, as well as highlighting failures of the Tory government in replacing social housing lost through Thatcher's Right to Buy scheme. He added: 'Successive UK governments did that through austerity, through awful financial mismanagement, like Trussonomics, through a lack of political courage. 'So let's bust another myth while we're here: migrants aren't taking your jobs. Migrants are creating your jobs.' Yousaf also criticised Nigel Farage's recent attacks on Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, stating that whilst their political views differ, Sarwar 'loves Scotland infinitely more than Nigel Farage'. Yousaf, Anwar and Foyer were joined by Labour councillor Matt Kerr at the sold-out event (Image: Gordon Terris) Regarding the upcoming Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, he told The National: 'There has never been a more important moment to stand up against the advance of the far-right. 'Scotland, I am afraid, is not immune to the rise of populism, and next Thursday's by-election in Hamilton will be a key moment, where I hope, the good people of Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse will roundly reject the politics of racial division. 'We need to wake up to the fact that Farage's Reform are gaining support. Those of us who are progressive, and believe in inclusive values, need to organise, mobilise and most importantly articulate an alternative vision to what Farage is offering. 'We need to articulate a vision rooted in hope, that is bold, radical and promises to make the lives of the majority better. 'If we do that, then we can stop the rise of the far-right. If not, well, the alternative does not bear thinking about.' READ MORE: Why the UK media 180 on Gaza is too little, too late Human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar also gave a speech at the summit, where he criticised First Minister John Swinney and Police Scotland's handling of the recent Kneecap controversies, which saw the Irish rap trio axed from the TRNSMT lineup. Anwar said: 'A message also for John Swinney and Police Scotland over Kneecap: mind your own business. 'Don't tell us what we can listen to. You stopped Kneecap, while only days earlier the police protected fascists on our streets. 'You are punishing Kneecap for speaking out against Israel's genocide in Gaza, but when will you stop the arms trade? When will you hold the politicians who armed the genocide accountable?'
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Everything you need to know about the 'Stop Reform' Glasgow summit
Following the success of Reform UK and Nigel Farage in the recent English council elections, Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) is hosting a "Stop Reform 2026" summit ahead of next year's Scottish Government election. The day will build towards the launch of the official campaign, aiming to build a "mass movement" to challenge the nationwide rise of fascist and racist rhetoric before the election takes place. Where will it be held? The summit will take place from 11am until 5pm on Saturday, May 31, in The Boardwalk on Glasgow's Brunswick Street. It is a ticketed event and will feature a range of speakers and workshops throughout the day. Who is speaking at the summit? There are a number of speakers listed for the morning plenary, including: Aamer Anwar, human rights lawyer Humza Yousaf, former First Minister Roz Foyer, STUC general secretary Samira Ali, SUTR nationwide organiser Matt Kerr, Scottish Labour councillor for Cardonald Why now? In a social media post announcing the summit, SUTR said: 'Nigel Farage claims to be a 'man of the people', but he is a tax-dodging millionaire who attended one of the most expensive private schools in Britain. Reform has pledged to cut taxes for the largest corporations, cuts for public services and it tries to point the finger away from the rich. 'In Scotland, polls project Reform could enter the Scottish parliament in the May 2026 election with up to 15 MSPs. 'We say this is not inevitable. Mass campaigning and anti-racist organising has helped turn the tide against the far-right before — and we can do it again.' The summit will feature a number of workshops such as detailing how culture can help 'turn the tide' against prejudice, trade unions against racism and justice for Sheku Bayoh — a Black Lives Matter in Scotland workshop. There will also be a break where attendees can visit picture galleries and stalls hosted by campaign groups involved in the summit. Final tickets for those wishing to attend are available here.
