The Reform UK leader has ruled out his party supporting any moves to make Anas Sarwar the next First Minister.
Nigel Farage has suggested he would prefer the SNP to win next year’s Holyrood election instead of Labour.
The Reform UK leader, who is firmly against Scottish independence, has insisted his party would not support any move to make Anas Sarwar the next First Minister.
Under Scottish Parliament rules, the role of First Minister is voted on by MSPs after each election. There was speculation that Reform could support Sarwar for the job in 2026 instead of John Swinney.
Richard Tice, Reform deputy leader, previously said “anything is preferable to the SNP”.
But Farage has now ruled out such a move. “We’re not doing a deal with Labour. No, we’re just not going to do it,” he told The Times.
“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.”
Current polls suggest Reform – which still has no dedicated Scottish leader – could return more than 10 MSPs at next year’s Holyrood election.
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Swinney today distanced himself from Farage and ruled out his party making any deals with Reform.
“Just so everyone knows, there will never be any deals, under any circumstances, between the SNP and Nigel Farage,” the First Minister said. “The SNP stand against his divisive politics.”
Farage is expected to campaign for Reform ahead of the crunch Hamilton by-election on June 5.
The party is confident it can win votes in South Lanarkshire from former Labour supporters who are unhappy with Keir Starmer’s performance as Prime Minister.
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, said: “This comment from Nigel Farage tells you everything you need to know – a vote for Reform is a vote for the SNP. Reform isn’t going to stand up to the SNP, they are going to help them back into power.”
Rachael Hamilton, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: “Nigel Farage’s party handed several seats to the SNP in last year’s general election and now it seems they’re happy to hand John Swinney another five years in power.”
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