JOHN SWINNEY urged Scots today not to “sit back” and assume the politics of the far-right will not take hold in the country.
The First Minister will host a cross-party summit tomorrow in Glasgow which will discuss tackling the rise of far-right populism.
Mr Swinney has invited representatives from trade unions, charities, churches and community groups to the event to discuss groups such as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Announcing the summit in February, the SNP leader said: “Farage has been for years leading the argument which has been hostile to migration and I think that is based on a fundamentally racist view of the world — I reject that.”
Reform won 7 per cent of the vote in Scotland in last summer's general election.
In his first of a series of columns for the Daily Record, Mr Swinney said: “It feels like society is becoming ever more polarised and the world around us ever more uncertain.
“There have always been those who seek to exploit such fear and anxiety to sow hatred, to demonise minority groups, to spread disinformation and even undermine democracy itself.
“None of this anxiety is unique to Scotland. The far right is on the rise across the West — we must not sit back and assume it cannot happen here.”
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay has said that he won’t attend the event.
In a letter to Mr Swinney he accused the SNP leader of using the meeting to “deflect attention from your party’s dismal record.”
Reform UK councillor Thomas Kerr called the summit “anti-democratic.”
Sabby Dhalu, Stand up to Racism co-convener said: “The threat of the far right in Scotland cannot be underestimated. Polls indicate that Reform UK is on course to gain several MSPs in next year’s Scottish Parliament elections.
"This is a result of successive governments stirring up racism, scapegoating refugees and migrants for the cost of living crisis they created.
"It’s absolutely vital that we oppose racism and mobilise the vote against Reform UK. That’s why Scotland Stand up to Racism is organising a summit on May 31.”
