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The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Farage 'can't be trusted to oppose SNP' says Scotland in Union
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. READ MORE: Analysis: Can Reform UK actually win the Hamilton by-election? What you need to know about the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election SNP complain to Facebook over Reform 'race-baiting' advert targeting Sarwar 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. READ MORE: Reform can 'win Hamilton by-election and take power' in Holyrood Anas Sarwar: Scottish Conservatives in 'terminal decline' Update on winter fuel payments to more pensioners expected in coming weeks '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.
Edinburgh Live
3 days ago
- Politics
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh councillor hits back at 'serious allegations' over 'vile' tweets
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An Edinburgh councillor has disputed claims that he called for the death of the man behind one of Scotland's most well known pro-UK accounts on X Cllr David Key, who represents the Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart ward, made the original post on X (formerly Twitter) back in February, when he said: "I see that Effie Deans is no longer with us (on Twitter anyway) Agent P next please", reports The Scottish Daily Express. A crying emoji was added to the text after the Effie Deans reference and a high five emoji. Effie Deans was the nom de plume of a Scottish political blogger, whose output suddenly stopped in November 2024 after more than 12 years. Some have speculated that the person behind the blog must have passed away, although their identity has never been made public. Fellow pro-UK personality, Agent P, also keeps his identity out of the public domain. After being alerted to the post, Agent P responded: "Imagine an SNP Edinburgh councillor tweeting that they want you to die. It's vile and completely unacceptable – made worse by the fact that my council tax helps pay his salary. How disgusting". But Cllr Key – who served 25 years in the Royal Navy – has insisted that his post was not "disrespectful" and then tagged in a fellow councillor – Iain Whyte, the Conservative group leader on Edinburgh City Council. He wrote: "As you well know, my comment was about "Effie" and you leaving Twitter, nothing else. It is, quite clearly, not disrespecting a member of the public. PS if you're going to make serious allegations like this then please come out from behind your cloak of anonymity @CllrWhyte". It is not clear if he is suggesting that Cllr Whyte, who represents Craigentinny/Duddingston, is in fact the man behind Agent P, or whether he simply wants the Conservative group leader to be alerted. The exchange didn't stop there, with Agent P hitting back: "Don't insult everyone's intelligence – we all know exactly what you were implying. My anonymity isn't up for your approval either. And just so you remember: I fund your salary, not the other way around. Coming from a public servant, your tweet was a disgrace." The spat has now served to put the spotlight on the disappearance of Effie Deans. On her blog, Lily of St Leonards, she writes that she began blogging in 2012 during the early years of the 2014 referendum campaign. The 'About Me' section states: "My name is Effie Deans. I was named after the character in the novel Heart of Midlothian who is also known as "The Lily of St. Leonards". That's the reason for the blog name. I live in Aberdeenshire. Prior to that I lived and worked in Russia and the Soviet Union where I met my Russian husband. "Because I lived in a closed city in the USSR where foreigners were not allowed I had to adopt both my husband's surname and a Russian first name. This is still the name I use professionally. But friends and family have always known me as Effie Deans." Some followers have pointed to an obituary and donations page posted online for a lady named Effie Deans who passed away in Callander in Perthshire on September 21, 2024. However, the blog continued until November 6, 2024. The final post – which you can read by clicking here – was a piece about the "tendency in certain Scottish nationalist circles to obsess about the Scottishness of vegetables" and the fact that Donald Trump – whose mother hailed from the Isle of Lewis – is "never Scottish".
STV News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- STV News
Councillor switched to Reform Scotland after being rejected as Tory candidate
Dominic Lonchay, a councillor for the East Garioch ward in Aberdeenshire, announced on Thursday he would be joining Nigel Farage's party, saying there were 'many' reasons for the decision, including recently being 'unable to influence the running of the council for the benefit of my constituents'. But it is understood Lonchay applied to be a candidate in 2026 but was rejected by the party. 'After eight years as councillor for Aberdeenshire Council ward, 12 with the Conservative Party, I have decided that it is time for me to leave the Conservative Party and Aberdeenshire Council administration to join Reform Scotland. 'The reasons for this decision are many, and I have particularly recently been unable to influence the running of the council for the benefit of my constituents. 'I have therefore decided to join Reform Scotland, and I look forward to working with colleagues in the unaligned group of councillors for the benefit of my constituents.' Glasgow councillor Thomas Kerr, who himself defected from the Tories to Reform, said the party was 'delighted' to have Lonchay on board, as he pinpointed the north east of Scotland as a key area. 'Aberdeenshire and Scotland's north east have been totally abandoned by all mainstream legacy parties, Dominic, along with our current councillors in Aberdeenshire, will be crucial in this region's fight back,' he said. 'From Clydebank to Fraserburgh, Reform UK has shown we are the only party in Scottish politics with momentum. 'If voters want to rid Scotland of this rotten SNP Government, then only Reform UK offers that opportunity.' A spokesman for the Scottish Tories said: 'Under Russell Findlay we're reconnecting with common sense conservative values of enterprise, self-reliance, fiscal responsibility and the rule of law. 'Every poll shows that Reform will only help the SNP. As we saw in last year's general election, they handed several seats to the SNP which would have otherwise gone to a pro-UK party. 'Reform are likely to stand pro-independence candidates in the 2026 election and Nigel Farage has even said he's not worried about the SNP getting another five years in power. 'The Scottish Conservatives will continue to work hard to rebuild trust with disillusioned voters by holding the failing SNP Government to account and promoting common sense conservative values.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Press and Journal
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Press and Journal
Fourth Aberdeenshire Tory defects to Reform as mass exodus continues
An East Garioch councillor has become the fourth former Tory in Aberdeenshire to defect to the Reform Party, the Press and Journal can reveal. Dominic Lonchay is joining Nigel Farage's political party in what is becoming a crisis for the ruling Conservative group on the council. 'The reasons for this decision are many, and I have particularly recently been unable to influence the running of the Council for the benefit of my constituents', he said. 'I have therefore decided to join Reform, and I look forward to working with colleagues in the unaligned group of councillors.' It comes just two weeks after we revealed Ellon councillor John Crawley had switched allegiance to Reform. Former local authority chief Mark Findlater and Mearns councillor Laurie Carnie both jumped ship to Mr Farage's party last year. Earlier this month we revealed Huntly councillor Robbie Withey had left the Tory group in protest at nursery closures. He has not joined Reform but has vowed to back Mr Farage's party at the next Holyrood election in May 2026. Ex-SNP councillor John Cox has also joined the party but sits as an independent in Aberdeenshire. Meanwhile, council leader Gillian Owen was replaced as the Aberdeen Conservative leader after she branded her own colleagues 'f***ing b*****ds' in text messages. Mr Lonchay served as a Conservative in East Garioch for eight years after he was voted in at the 2017 council election. His defection will represent yet another headache for Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay who is struggling to stave off Reform's growing threat. One shock poll suggested Reform could be the second biggest party in the Scottish Parliament. And another this week suggested Reform could win Westminster seats at the next UK election – including Aberdeenshire North and Moray East. A Reform spokesperson said: 'There are now twelve Reform Councillors in Scotland, with more expected in the coming months. 'This reflects the growing feeling of anger with the legacy parties amongst Scottish people.' The Scottish Tories said Mr Lonchay left the party after he failed vetting to stand as a candidate at the next Holyrood election. A party spokesperson said: 'Every poll shows that Reform will only help the SNP. 'As we saw in last year's general election, they handed several seats to the SNP which would have otherwise gone to a pro-UK party.'
Gulf Today
18-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
£25bn prize at stake in Starmer's Brexit reset talks with EU
Alicja Hagopian and David Maddox, The Independent A £25bn annual boost to British exports is at stake for Sir Keir Starmer as he tries to secure a Brexit reset deal at a crucial summit on Monday, analysis shared with The Independent reveals. Removing trade barriers on goods, including food and drink and electrical items, could result in a 2.2 per cent uplift in gross domestic product in the long run, boosting the economic growth the prime minister so desperately wants to deliver, financial analysts Frontier Economics found. And a separate assessment by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) warns that a failure to land a deal for easier trading could lead to a 2.7 per cent drop in exports by 2027, costing the UK economy almost £30bn. The impact on the British economy from such a deal is expected to dwarf that of the agreements recently signed with India and the US. On Saturday night, Sir Keir said it would be 'good for our jobs, good for our bills and good for our borders'. Gordon Brown's former economic adviser Lord Jim O'Neill summed up the importance of Sir Keir's summit in London: 'Obviously, the closer and more serious we can get, the better it is for reversing our net trade losses, and importantly, net investment from EU areas. 'Given the shock from Trump (tariffs) to Europe, especially on Germany, on top of the Ukraine shock and China slowdown, I think Germany (will be) more open to pro-UK trade issues than before. 'Also, I suspect the EU is going to give more than lip service to cross-border services sector reform now. Given UK net advantages in service sector exports, this is important to us.' Such reforms could make it easier for the UK to sell services to the bloc by allowing mutual recognition of qualifications so UK professionals can practice in the EU and vice versa without having a retrain. NIESR's interim director Stephen Millard said the value of Monday's deal should not be underestimated. He said: 'In 2024 we exported roughly £6.5bn to India, roughly £53.5bn to the United States and roughly £159bn to the European Union. It is fairly clear from those numbers that a trade deal with the European Union is much more likely to shift the dial than the deals with India and the United States.' His assessment was echoed by Chris Southworth, director general of the UK's largest business organisation, the International Chambers of Commerce, who noted that the trade deal signed with Donald Trump, which saw tariffs slashed on UK car and steel exports, was a 'damage limitation agreement' and only accounted for 13 per cent of international gross domestic product (GDP). But he fears the deal to be unveiled on Monday 'may not be ambitious enough' especially if it only focuses on goods rather than the future growth areas of digital services. It is a view shared by the Labour chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee Dame Emily Thornberry. In an interview with The Independent, she called on Sir Keir to be more 'courageous', adding: 'We should be going further than the government currently seems to have the ambition for doing.' The deal is expected to include closer defence cooperation, goods and services, and a youth mobility agreement, which would allow 18- to 30-year-olds to live and work in the UK and Europe for a time-limited period. It has also been reported that it will include an agreement to allow EU trawlers to fish in British waters. Two immediate big wins could be to include the UK in the €150bn (£126bn) EU defence procurement fund, which would allow the government to bid for military equipment contracts and invite them to join the EU data hub. The latter is being championed by Poland, who currently have the presidency of the EU. A special report from earlier this year found that Brexit had cost the UK £30.2bn in settlement costs, stopped 16,400 businesses from exporting to the EU, and could lead to a 15 per cent long-term loss of trade. From the £24.8bn export boost for the UK estimated by Frontier Economics in a report commissioned by pro-EU group Best for Britain, farm food exports alone could see a £3.2bn increase. Agricultural exports have suffered since Brexit, with food and drink exports down by more than a third, according to trade bodies. The EU, meanwhile, would also benefit, with a £22.4bn boost to exports in goods and services from a closer agreement, selling £5bn more in agricultural products. Amar Breckenridge, senior associate at Frontier Economist, said that some of the economic damage caused by President Trump's tariffs could be offset by the benefits of a closer EU trading relationship. While tariffs could still cost the UK £4.3bn in GDP under the new US trade deal, Mr Breckenridge estimates the UK could claw back £8.1bn from closer trading with the EU. The long-awaited youth mobility scheme alone could boost GDP by 0.45 per cent in the next decade, according to a separate study from the Centre for European Reform. But recent reports suggest that the deal might hit speed bumps in a row over high student fees for EU students coming to the UK, in addition to a lack of flexibility over the amount of fish EU countries can take from British waters.
