‘Under no circumstances will SNP have anything to do with Farage’ – Swinney

John Swinney has said that “under no circumstances will the SNP have anything to do” with Nigel Farage, after the Reform UK leader suggested he would rather the SNP win over Labour at the next Holyrood election.

The First Minister said his party represented “the absolute opposite” of Mr Farage.

The former Ukip leader has ruled out any support for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.

“We’re not doing a deal with Labour,” he told The Times. “No: we’re just not going to do it.”

But speaking about Scotland’s current governing party, Mr Farage said: “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.”

His comments contradict those of his deputy, Richard Tice, who previously said that “anything is preferable to the SNP”.

Asked about Mr Farage’s comments, the First Minister told the PA news agency: “The Scottish National Party represents the absolute opposite of Nigel Farage.

“And under no circumstances whatsoever will the SNP have anything whatsoever to do with Nigel Farage.

“The sooner that public opinion is garnered in Scotland – as I am doing this week and gathering it together – to resist the politics that Farage represents, then the better for our society.”

Mr Swinney made the comments on the campaign trail for the by-election at Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, which was called after the death of SNP minister Christina McKelvie.

Reform UK has suggested that Mr Farage may also campaign in the seat ahead of the June 5 vote.

Reform has no MSPs, but polling suggests it is set to return several at the next Holyrood election. The party has also had multiple defections from the Conservatives in councils across the country.

Next week, the SNP leader will chair a cross-party summit to “lock out” the rise of the far-right, which he has said includes Reform UK.

Reform, which denies it is far-right, has labelled the event “anti-democratic”.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie MSP said: “This comment from Nigel Farage tells you everything you need to know – a vote for Reform is a vote for the SNP.

“The truth is that Reform and the SNP are two peas in a pod – both using the politics of grievance to stoke division and divide communities.

“Reform isn’t going to stand up to the Tories – they are going to help them back into power.

“The people of Scotland are being failed every day by the SNP, with nearly one in six Scots on NHS waiting lists, teacher numbers being slashed and council tax being hiked on working people.

“The only party that can remove the SNP and deliver the new direction Scotland needs is the Scottish Labour Party – not Nigel Farage’s snake-oil salesmen.”