Anas Sarwar has ruled out his party working with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK after the Holyrood election. But the Scottish Labour leader said the curb included “formal coalitions or agreements” – leaving the door open to looser deals with the right-wing party.
He also compared the SNP to Reform by claiming both parties feed on the “politics of hopelessness”.
Recent opinion polls have shown John Swinney’s SNP on course for victory next year after a collapse in the Scottish Labour vote. Experts believe the troubles of Keir Starmer’s Government have hit Sarwar’s chances of becoming First Minister.
The same polls have shown Farage’s party in line for a major breakthrough and Sarwar may have to rely on Reform MSPs if he wants to become FM.
Speaking to the media, Sarwar said of Reform: “There is a scunner factor out there where people are going out to reactionary parties like Reform, or reactionary politicians like Nigel Farage, even if they might not necessarily agree with them or their politics.
“The reason why there is that scunner factor is people believe that all we can ever do, and vote for, is managed decline. They don’t think governments work for them.”
He continued: “It’s the politics of hopelessness that people like Reform, and indeed I would argue the SNP, want to pursue. And our challenge is to deliver the politics of hope.”
Sarwar said he is confident that once Labour “frame the choice” for the Holyrood election he can “get back both the anti-SNP alliance” and “those that are building for a better country”.
He said Labour will “not work with a political party with Reform”, but added he would not turn his back on someone who had a “good idea”.
Pushed to explain what he meant by not working with Reform, he said: “We are not going to do any kind of formal coalitions or agreements.”
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