Russell Findlay: Farage would ‘gift the SNP another five years’

Nigel Farage could gift the SNP five more years in power, Russell Findlay has claimed.

The Scottish Conservative leader suggested that John Swinney was “thrilled” by progress being made by Reform UK as it benefits the SNP.

At an event to mark one year until the next election, Findlay said the prospect of a victory for the SNP “keeps me awake at night”.

Both SNP leader John Swinney and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also held similar events today.

Swinney used his to warn that Farage “could be prime minister” within a few years’ time.

But Findlay argued the first minister was “talking up Reform” to make a fresh push for Scottish independence.

He said: “John Swinney isn’t scared of Nigel Farage; he is thrilled by him. He doesn’t want to confront Reform, he wants to help. 

“It’s actually John Swinney’s dirty little secret. Publicly, he pretends to despise them. Private, he adores them. 

“If John Swinney spent as much time reforming public services as he did talking up Reform, Scotland might actually get somewhere.”

A fresh poll out today has put Reform in second place behind the SNP, with Labour in third and the Conservatives trailing in fourth. 

Seat projections indicate this could translate to the Tories losing more than half their current MSPs, while Farage’s party could see 21 MSPs elected.

Asked whether his party could work with Reform after the election, Findlay did not rule out the prospect entirely but said he would not work with any party which would back Swinney returning as first minister next year.

In an interview with The Times last month, Farage said he would rather see Swinney in office again than have Labour’s Sarwar become first minister.

Ruling out any deal between his party and Labour, the Reform MP said: “I’m not that worried about the SNP. Yes, they’re going to have a resurgence. Scotland is not going to leave the United Kingdom. It’s not going to happen in a month of Sundays.

“We’re not doing a deal with Labour. No: we’re just not going to do it.”