Scotland's First Minister has launched a fierce condemnation of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, branding his recent remarks about schoolchildren in Glasgow as 'simply racist'.
Farage's 'Cultural Smashing' Claim Sparks Outrage
The political row erupted after Nigel Farage posted a video on social media on Thursday, 4 December 2025. In the clip, the Reform UK leader claimed that one in three schoolchildren in Glasgow does not speak English as their first language.
He framed this statistic not as diversity but as what he termed the 'cultural smashing of Glasgow'. Farage questioned who had voted for such a transformation, asking: 'It's turning it into a completely different city in every way. My question is, who voted for this? Who told anybody in Scotland this was actually happening?'
Swinney's Forceful Rebuttal on Multilingualism
Responding to journalists later that same day, First Minister John Swinney delivered a pointed and unequivocal rebuttal. He stated that Farage's comments demonstrated he was 'a purveyor of racist views'.
'I think Nigel Farage's comments are just quite simply racist. That's what they are. There's no other way to describe it,' Swinney asserted.
Challenging the premise of Farage's argument, the First Minister added: 'I don't know quite when we believed that multilingualism was something of a problem in our society, and certainly not the view I take. I think it's a benefit. I think it reflects the diversity of our country.'
Political Repercussions and Electoral Warning
Swinney concluded his remarks with a direct warning to voters, explicitly linking Farage's views to his political party. 'I think what these comments from Nigel Farage demonstrate is that he is a purveyor of racist views and people should think about that long and hard before they think about voting for his party,' he stated.
The controversy places immigration and national identity firmly back on the political agenda in Scotland. Reform UK was approached for a comment following Swinney's condemnation, but no immediate response was provided.
