Scottish leader Russell Findlay has confirmed he will boycott John Swinney’s anti-Reform UK summit next week.
Findlay, who lambasted the SNP for its “dismal record” in Holyrood, instead suggested holding a summit to tackle organised crime amid a violent turf war between rival gangs in the Central Belt.
In a letter to the Scottish First Minister, Findlay described the St George’s Day summit as a “talking shop”.
He also lamented Swinney for not bringing back gender reforms in the wake of this week’s Supreme Court ruling.
Nigel Farage on the campaign trailPAFindlay said: “It is disappointing that you have failed to address my reasonable requests, which are to stop seeking to split up our country, stop pushing gender self-ID policies and give a commitment to being transparent and truthful with the Scottish public.
“If you wish to unite the country, you should begin by addressing these concerns, which the majority of people across Scotland share.
“As you are not prepared to do that, I am therefore left to conclude that this summit is designed to deflect attention from your party’s dismal record.”
However, Swinney accused Findlay of “searching for reasons not to take part” in the summit and urged him to join the forum.
Scottish First Minister John SwinneyPA“The gathering is an opportunity for Scotland to unite behind the common principle that far-right and racist hatred should have no place in Scotland and to agree a common approach to asserting Scotland’s shared values and creating a cohesive society where everyone feels at home,” he said.
Swinney added: “I would hope that all parties in parliament would be able to come together around this basic premise.
“I hope that you will reflect, put politics aside and agree to take part.”
However, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton also expressed “deep concerns about anything which aims to stifle a democratically elected voice”.
Scottish Conservative MSP Russell Findlay GETTYIn an unusual twist, Cole-Hamilton sounded a free speech alarm about Swinney’s efforts to thwart the rise of Reform UK.
Reform UK, which failed to secure any seats north of the border in the last General Election, received seven per cent of the vote in Scotland last year.
However, a surge in support sees Farage approach the 2026 Scottish Parliament Election with a strong chance of cementing the populist party in third-place.
Surpassing any of Ukip’s results, Reform UK obtained 17 per cent of the vote in a recent Survation poll, putting Farage ahead of the Tories and Liberal Democrats.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage is escorted by police officers as he leaves the Cannons Gait pub as protestors heckle him, following a press conference with journalists
PA
Farage is intending to head north of the border ahead of next year’s election.
The Reform UK leader had previously steered clear of venturing up to Scotland following a disturbing encounter with left-wing activists outside a pub on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
The then-Ukip leader, who was visiting the Scottish capital in 2013, was whisked away in a police riot van under a tirade of abuse from a crowd of about 50 young demonstrators.
However, Farage is expected to return to Scotland to campaign for Reform UK’s candidate in the upcoming Hamilton by-election.
