The SNP has challenged Anas Sarwar to rule out “once and for all” working with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in any capacity after a Reform Councillor in Glasgow encouraged Labour to work with them ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election.
Mr Sarwar had previously stated that the Labour Party in Scotland is open to ‘good ideas’ from Reform UK, whose policies include privatisation of the NHS, tax cuts for the wealthy, backing Brexit and scrapping devolution.
In a Holyrood poll out today, Reform is expected to win as many as 15 seats in Holyrood in 2026.
Following a succession of UK-wide polls which put Reform ahead of Labour, Sir Keir Starmer’s party has deployed ads featuring Reform branding along with clips of immigration raids stating ‘Labour hits 5 year high in migrant removals.’
Commenting Emma Harper MSP said:
“As Farage’s party surges ahead in UK polling and the Labour Party masquerades as them in their lurch to the right, questions are mounting over Anas Sarwar’s openness to ‘good ideas’ from Reform.
“We know that Reform’s policies not only go against Scotland’s needs, but they contradict our values, which at one point would have been shared by Mr Sarwar.
“If the Scottish Labour leader is truly pro-immigration, pro-NHS and pro-Scotland then he will categorically rule out working with Reform UK in any capacity.
“Unlike the Labour Party the SNP will always stand up for Scotland’s values, and will fight Nigel Farage’s toxic and harmful agenda every step of the way.”
