Reform voters in Hamilton by-election ‘angry’, not racist, says Swinney

John Swinney has said Scots who voted for Reform in a by-election last week were “angry”, not racist.

The First Minister was asked on the BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show if those who backed Reform were “gullible” or “racist” – a term the SNP leader has previously used to describe the party.

Swinney said the 7,088 people who backed Reform – more than a quarter of the vote – in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse ballot were “neither”, but were instead “angry at the cost-of-living crisis”.

He added: “I think that’s what motivates the Reform vote. People have got poorer because of one central thing – Brexit, and the author of that is (Reform UK leader Nigel) Farage.

“I’m standing up to Farage. I’m going to make no apology for it.”

John Swinney said those who voted Reform in Hamilton were ‘angry’ (PA). PA Media

He said the SNP is “in the process of recovery” and he had come into office as First Minister a year ago “inheriting some significant difficulties” within the party, and that it needs to get stronger before the Holyrood election in 2026.

He said voters are “having to work hard for less” and are concerned about public services, particularly the NHS.

Swinney was asked about comments he made prior to the vote saying “Labour were not at the races” and claiming it was a “two-horse race” between the SNP and Reform.

Labour’s Davy Russell gained the seat from the SNP with 8,559 votes, while SNP candidate Katy Loudon came second on 7,957, ahead of Reform’s Ross Lambie.

The First Minister said that since the general election campaign last year, people he has met have pledged never to vote Labour due to the winter fuel allowance being cut, while Reform’s support increased.

Reform UK came third in the by-election (Jane Barlow/PA). PA Media

Swinney said: “People were telling us on the doorsteps, they were giving us reasons why they weren’t supporting Labour. We could also see that Farage’s support was rising dramatically and that’s happening across the United Kingdom, it’s not unique to Hamilton.

“I positioned the SNP to be strong enough to stop Farage, and that’s what we were determined to do.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has branded the SNP’s campaign “dishonest and disgraceful” and said it had put the spotlight on Reform.

Those comments were put to the First Minister, who said he had previously been allies with Mr Sarwar in a campaign to “stand up to far-right thinking”.

Swinney said: “That was months ago and then we found ourselves in the aftermath of the UK local authority elections, the English local authority elections where Farage surged to a leading position and won a by-election south of the border.

“So the dynamic of our politics change in front of us.

“I’ve been standing up to Farage for months, I’ve been warning about the dangers of Farage for months, and they crystallised in the rise of Farage during the Hamilton, Stonehouse and Larkhall by-election.”