John Swinney labels Nigel Farage a Russian ‘accomplice’ as he brands Reform ‘far-right’

First Minister John Swinney has labelled Reform UK leader Nigel Farage an “accomplice to the Russia agenda” as he called for a cross-party summit to be held to respond to the challenge of the far-right.

Speaking from Bute House, Swinney said the “threat from the far-right was real” but he called for more unity to “bring Scotland together”.

He announced his intention to convene a gathering at the end of April, approximately a year before the Scottish Parliament 2026 election, to “agree a common approach to asserting the values of our country”.

The leader of all political parties currently represented in the parliament will be invited to attend, he said, alongside representatives from civic society.

The first minister said: “It is time to come together to draw a line in the sand, to set out who we are and what we believe in – because a politics of fear is a politics of despair. It is a politics that will divide us and destroy so much that we hold dear.

“I want us to be ready for whatever this age of uncertainty throws at us, for us to be united in the face of the undoubted challenges that lie ahead.”

Asked whether he would include Farage’s party in his definition of the far-right, Swinney confirmed he would.

And he said the values of Scotland were “under very, very vigorous threat from the politics of Farage”.

He accused Reform MPs of the “trivialisation” of the threat of President Putin, adding: “Farage is an accomplice to the Russian agenda, and an apologist for the Russian agenda.”

Current polling suggests Reform will make a breakthrough in the parliamentary elections next year despite very little campaigning in Scotland so far.

Swinney rejected the idea of an electoral pact to lock out Reform, but he said parties would work together to “marginalise far-right sentiment”.

Reform Scotland accused the first minster of “trying to deflect” from his party’s record in government with this statement.

A spokesman said: “When it comes to Ukraine, we have been clear: we want Ukraine’s long-term security guaranteed in any deal and that Putin is a despicable aggressor.”

Putin has been emboldened in recent months by the second presidency of Donald Trump in the US.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will today leave for the States to meet with President Trump for the first time, in what is being seen as a crucial meeting for global security.

Asked for his thoughts on what the prime minister’s message should be, given what he’s said about far-right politics, Swinney said: “The prime minister needs to be clear about some real fundamentals: that we face a significant security threat from Russia. That needs to be conveyed…. We have to recognise the reality and the truthfulness of what we face.”