Swinney willing to debate Farage ahead of by election

John Swinney has said he is willing to debate Nigel Farage, following a challenge laid down to the Reform UK leader by Scottish Labour’s Anas Sarwar.

The First Minister said next week’s Hamilton by-election is a two-horse race between the SNP and Reform, dismissing Labour’s chances of taking the Holyrood seat.

A social media video by Reform UK has prompted furore from parties in the Scottish Parliament, as it claimed Mr Sarwar would “prioritise” the Pakistani community.

The advert – which the SNP and Labour have demanded be removed by Meta – shows clips of Mr Sarwar calling for more representation of Scots with south Asian heritage, although he did not say he would prioritise any one group.

Labour has previously described the ad as “blatantly racist”, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has accused Mr Farage of “introducing poison into our politics”.

Voters go to the polls on June 5 in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Holyrood constituency – a by-election called following the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie.

Mr Sarwar has said he is willing to debate the Reform UK leader, saying “I’ll challenge him any time, any place in Hamilton, any town hall”.

During a visit to the Auchentoshan Distillery near Glasgow on Friday, the First Minister was asked if he too is ready to debate Mr Farage.

He said: “I would, of course, debate with Nigel Farage.

“But what’s important is that we’ve got a contest on Thursday, which is an attempt by Farage to insert his politics of racism and poison into Scotland.

“I want to make sure the SNP wins the two-horse race in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.

“It’s crystal clear to me, the Labour campaign is collapsing and only votes for the SNP will stop Farage.”

Reform UK spokesman and Glasgow councillor Thomas Kerr had earlier responded to the Prime Minister’s attacks on his party.

He said: “Reform UK won’t take any lectures on ‘restoring trust in politics’ from Sir Keir Starmer.

“This is a Prime Minister whose first decision in office was to plunge millions of pensioners into fuel poverty.

“Labour’s campaign in Hamilton has been a calamity of car-crash gaffes from a candidate who ducks the media, a leader who forgets the candidate’s name, and a Prime Minister who refuses to even turn up.