Scottish First Minister John Swinney has been accused of acting as Nigel Farage's "recruiting sergeant" north of the border ahead of tomorrow's anti-Reform summit.
Swinney, who also received criticism from the Liberal Democrats and Tories, was warned by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar that the "root cause" of the surge in support for Reform stems from the SNP's "political failure" to competently run the NHS and education.
Sarwar added that the First Minister was talking up the threat posed by Reform UK to justify using taxpayers' cash to hold the summit.
Swinney will tomorrow gather political leaders at Bute House in a bid to discuss how to "lock out" Reform from winning seats in next year's Scottish Parliament Election.
`Reform UK leader Nigel Farage
PA
Despite only receiving seven per cent support in Scotland in the 2024 General Election, opinion polls indicate Reform UK could now obtain around 20 per cent of the vote.
Opinion polls consistently put Farage's party in third - behind the SNP and Labour.
Swinney extended invitations to civic, church and political party leaders ahead of tomorrow's gathering.
However, the Scottish First Minister's political rivals criticised the decision.
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Anas Sarwar, Alex Cole-Hamilton, Russell Findlay
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Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay opted to boycott the event, warning: "This summit is designed to deflect attention from your party’s dismal record.”
Alex Cole-Hamilton, who serves as leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats north of the border, also emerged as an unlikely Farage sympathiser.
He expressed "deep concerns about anything which aims to stifle a democratically elected voice”.
Meanwhile, Reform UK Councillor Thomas Kerr, who defected from the Tories last year, accused Swinney of having "way overstepped his mark".
Kerr added: “I think this is a political stunt, and I really worry when the First Minister of Scotland uses his platform to play politics.“
Scottish First Minister John Swinney
PA
"This is taxpayers’ money being used on this summit, on this stunt by John Swinney to play politics against opponents he doesn’t like. My message to John Swinney is beat us at the ballot box.
“We are polling at 17 per cent, people are scunnered and fed-up, and having the political establishment sitting around a table talking about how they don’t like us doesn’t do anything but encourage people to think we are talking some sense.”
Swinney, who last week admitted he was concerned about the "high likelihood" of Farage becoming Prime Minister, defended his decision to hold the summit.
Speaking over the weekend, the Scottish First Minister said: “There are threats to that democratic system coming from a range of pressures which seek to undermine the central values of society and part of that argument is the rhetoric of Reform – that is contributing to that.”
Nigel Farage (centre) is escorted by police officers as he leaves the Cannons Gait pubPADespite the SNP's plot to "lock out" Reform, Farage is intending to head north of the border ahead of next year's Holyrood election.
The Reform UK leader had previously steered clear of venturing up to Scotland following a disturbing encounter with left-wing activists outside a pub on Edinburgh's Royal Mile.
The then-Ukip leader, who was visiting the Scottish capital in 2013, was whisked away in a police riot van under a tirade of abuse from a crowd of about 50 young demonstrators.
However, Farage is expected to return to Scotland to campaign for Reform UK's candidate in the upcoming Hamilton by-election.
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