NIGEL FARAGE was accused of “basic racism” by Scotland First Minister John Swinney today over his demand that the two-child benefit cap should only be lifted for the British-born.

The Reform UK boss announced this week that it would join the Tories in voting against the proposed lifting of the cruel cap.

Under the party’s plans, both parents would have to be born in the UK and working full time to qualify for the cap to be lifted.

Mr Swinney said: “Nigel Farage is quite actively engaged in a competition with the Conservative Party to be the nastiest of all parties.

“I think underlying much of what Nigel Farage says is just basic racism, and I will have none of it.”

Mr Swinney also slammed Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay, who has said his party would fund tax cuts by reducing the social security budget, including the Scottish Child Payment.

“The Scottish Child Payment is an essential intervention to lift family incomes and to lift children out of poverty,” the First Minister said.

“That’s why we’ve got child poverty rates falling in Scotland, when they’re rising in the rest of the United Kingdom, because the Scottish Child Payment is only available here in Scotland.”

He also announced that, because of the Britishgovernment’s decision to axe the two-child cap, £10m pounds set aside by the Scottish government to mitigate its effects will now be spent on other measures to tackle child poverty.

Mr Swinney’s SNP is presently leading in polls ahead of May’s elections to the Scottish Parliament.