Nigel Farage holds Reform UK rally in Falkirk, Scotland, as party gains polling traction ahead of May’s devolved parliament elections.
FALKIRK: Reform UK leader Nigel Farage will hold a rally in the Scottish town of Falkirk on Saturday, seeking to capitalise on his party’s rising support ahead of elections for Scotland’s devolved parliament in May.
The “Scotland Needs Reform” event follows rival protests in Falkirk over asylum seekers housed at a local hotel, mirroring tensions seen in parts of England.
Some residents have expressed unease about the arrangement at the Cladhan Hotel, which has been accommodating migrants since 2021.
“I don’t feel safe, I don’t feel comfortable,” said one retiree named Karen, who declined to give her surname.
Farage’s visit comes as Reform UK has surged to second place behind the Scottish National Party in several polls for May’s Holyrood elections, overtaking Labour.
The party won just 7% of the Scottish vote in the 2024 UK general election but now regularly polls in the high teens.
Political analysts say Reform is drawing voters primarily from the Conservatives and to a lesser extent from Labour.
Pollster John Curtice said the party would be happy to win more than a dozen seats in the Scottish Parliament, laying the ground for future UK-wide elections.
Reform UK received a significant financial boost this week with a £9 million donation from Thailand-based businessman Christopher Harborne.
Farage has historically struggled for popularity in Scotland, where voters overwhelmingly rejected Brexit in the 2016 referendum.
A November YouGov poll found 69% of Scots view him unfavourably.
University of Edinburgh lecturer Fraser McMillan said Reform has established itself as a protest vote and the main vehicle for socially conservative views on immigration in Scotland.
He noted there is “a relatively strong contingent of that in Scotland.”
However, the party struggles to attract supporters from the pro-EU and pro-independence SNP, which is still expected to win May’s election.
Curtice said Reform is fragmenting the anti-independence vote rather than damaging the SNP.
He concluded that Farage is tapping into “a niche market” in Scotland, limiting the party’s potential compared to other parts of the UK.
