ASH Regan and Kenny MacAskill have taken opposite positions on the question of whether Alba under their leadership would ever work with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
The pair are currently racing to take over as the head of the Alba Party after the sudden death of former first minister Alex Salmond in October last year.
Farage’s right-wing populists are expected to return a “potentially significant phalanx of MSPs” at the next Holyrood elections in 2026, according to polling expert Professor John Curtice, raising the question of who would work with them.
Speaking to Sky News, Regan ruled out ever entering a formal coalition – but suggested there would be situations when her Alba would collaborate with Reform UK.
She said: "If you are asking me if I would ever go into a coalition with the Reform party in a formal basis then absolutely not.
"But if you are asking me would Alba be a constructive political force in the parliament working for the things that are important for the people of Scotland, then absolutely."
"I would work with any party on a case by case basis if I felt it was the right thing for the people of Scotland,” Regan added.
MacAskill, however, the current acting leader of Alba, ruled out any discussions with Farage’s party under any circumstances.
First Minister John Swinney has called a cross-party conference for April in which he has asked political figures and civic leaders to discuss how to head off the rise of the “increasingly extreme far right” in Scotland.
The Alba leadership race is due to conclude next month, and will see either Regan or MacAskill charged with directing an increasingly unsteady party.
The ongoing race has been wracked with accusations of bullying against MacAskill from Chris McEleny, who has in turn been fired as Alba’s general secretary for “gross misconduct”.
Regan claimed it was MacAskill’s position as acting leader behind the issues, telling Sky: "It has allowed the party to drift. We are leaderless and it is descending in to a little bit of chaos right now."
