Reform leader blasts Scottish First Minister’s ‘panicky’ attacks as protesters wave ‘not welcome’ banners ahead of crucial by-election showdown
Nigel Farage has accused Scottish First Minister John Swinney of being “inciteful” after anti-Reform protesters descended on his Aberdeen press conference chanting death threats and branding him a “racist.”
The dramatic confrontation comes as the SNP faces a mounting challenge from Reform UK in Thursday’s crucial Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election – with polls showing Farage’s party could pull off a historic upset in Scotland.
In explosive scenes outside the Aberdeen venue, masked demonstrators unfurled banners declaring “Farage not welcome in Scotland” while chanting the shocking slogan: “Let in every refugee, throw Farage in the sea.”
POLICE STAND BY AS MOB CHANTS
Two police officers arrived at the scene as protesters launched into their hate-filled chants of “Farage, Farage we know you, you’re a racist through and through.
However, in a move that will spark outrage, the officers decided not to take any action after speaking to the demonstrators – allowing the intimidation to continue unchecked.
Speaking from inside his press conference, a defiant Farage hit back at Swinney’s inflammatory rhetoric:
“The more they insult me, the more I know we must be doing something right. I think they’re in a blind state of panic. They’re chucking around all sorts of insults.”
“I thought the First Minister yesterday was, quite frankly, inciteful. But, for today, I will not return the compliment. We will let the public make their own minds up. I’m not going to get involved in a war of words.”
SNP IN ‘BLIND PANIC’ OVER REFORM SURGE
The confrontation follows Swinney’s extraordinary attack on Reform last night, in which he claimed Farage “doesn’t care about Scotland” and “poses a threat to our values” that “must be stopped.
The First Minister’s desperate plea to voters came as he admitted the Hamilton by-election has become a “three-way contest” – with Reform threatening to overturn decades of SNP-Labour dominance.
Be in no doubt, Nigel Farage doesn’t care about Scotland. He poses a threat to our values and must be stopped, and only the SNP can do that,” Swinney declared in comments critics say crossed the line.
FARAGE: ‘BIGGEST EARTHQUAKE IN SCOTTISH HISTORY’
The Reform leader has claimed victory in Thursday’s by-election would mark the “biggest earthquake” in Scottish political history – and polling suggests it’s not an empty boast.
Recent surveys show Reform has surged to around 20 per cent support in Scotland, up from just 7 per cent at last year’s general election.
Speaking in Aberdeen, Farage took aim at the political establishment:
“You have Westminster, you have Edinburgh, you have Cardiff, all wedded to one particular point of view. Us, as the minority voice inside those institutions, but increasingly the majority voice out in the rest of the country.
BY-ELECTION BECOMES BATTLEGROUND
The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, triggered by the death of SNP MSP Christina McKelvie, has become an unexpected battleground with three parties locked in a fierce contest:
- SNP: Katy Loudon (defending the seat held since 2011)
- Labour: Davy Russell (hoping to reclaim traditional heartland)
- Reform UK: Ross Lambie (former Tory councillor who defected)
Betting odds still favor the SNP, but Labour faces the humiliating prospect of finishing third behind Reform in what was once rock-solid territory.
‘BLATANTLY RACIST’ CAMPAIGN ROW
The campaign has been marred by controversy after Reform released an advertisement about Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar that both Labour and the SNP branded “blatantly racist.”
The ad claimed Sarwar would “prioritise the Pakistani community” – prompting calls for social media giants Meta to remove it from their platforms.
Farage rejected the accusations and instead accused Sarwar of introducing “sectarianism” into Scottish politics.
NET ZERO SHOWDOWN
The Reform leader used his Aberdeen appearance to launch a blistering attack on Scotland’s climate policies:
Believe me, the scales are falling from the eyes of the public when it comes to Net Zero. They realise we are putting upon ourselves a massive cost… When we closed down refineries and steelworks… all we’re doing is exporting the emissions of CO2 with the goods then being shipped back to us.”
A Reform spokesman added: “The SNP’s hostile environment to oil and gas has been holding Scotland back for decades. From standing idly by whilst the Grangemouth refinery closed, to opposing oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, the SNP have sacrificed hundreds of jobs on the altar of their net zero obsession.”
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
This is far from the first time Farage has faced violent protests in Scotland. The latest incident follows:
- 2013: Trapped in Edinburgh pub by protesters, evacuated in police van
- 2024: Two separate assault convictions during general election campaign
- February 2025: “Antifa” protesters attack Cornwall rally, one person loses tooth
Farage condemned the latest protests: “No political protest in Britain should be allowed with people wearing masks. That is completely unacceptable at every level.”
SWINNEY’S ANTI-REFORM ‘SUMMIT’ BACKFIRES
The confrontation comes after Swinney held a controversial anti-Reform “summit” in April that was itself targeted by protesters accusing the SNP of being “democracy deniers.”
The gathering of over 50 political and civic leaders – which pointedly excluded Reform UK – was branded a desperate attempt to “lock out” the party from next year’s Holyrood elections.
Even Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar warned Swinney that the “root cause” of Reform’s rise was the SNP’s own “political failure” on the NHS and education.
FARAGE’S WARNING
As police continue to take a hands-off approach to increasingly violent protests, Farage issued a stark warning about the direction of Scottish politics:
“I’m astonished that Antifa have not been banned as an organisation. I have to say I am not happy with the Chief Constable of Devon & Cornwall Police because the argument – that we don’t intervene until things have gone wrong as opposed to policing being preventative…
With just days until polling day, one thing is clear: Scotland’s political establishment is rattled by Reform’s rise – and they’re pulling out all the stops to prevent what could be a seismic upset.
But as Farage noted: “The more they insult me, the more I know we must be doing something right.”
Image credit: Nigel Farage (21856519079) by Gage Skidmore, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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