John Swinney’s cross-party civic gathering – or ‘anti-Reform summit’ – met in Glasgow on Wednesday, with political party leaders from across Holyrood prepared to discuss how to rid Scotland of the hard right. Yet what began as a ‘Democratic Resilience Summit’ rather backfired for those politicians keen to push back against Reform UK’s surge in Scotland – as it turned into a chance for Nigel Farage’s party to enjoy free publicity.
Some 50 organisations from across civic society – including religious and third sector groups as well as every Holyrood party leader except Russell Findlay of the Tories – met in the centre of Glasgow to agonise over how to improve the lot of ordinary Scots. Meanwhile, in his usual media-savvy way, Farage was on BBC Radio Scotland telling those same ordinary Scots he had ‘the great and the good of Scottish politics’ running scared.
Swinney’s aim for the event was to ‘tackle causes undermining shared values in Scotland’ – yet the issue of extremism from the left was entirely absent.
Britain’s best politics newsletters
You get two free articles each week when you sign up to The Spectator’s emails.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in