TOO many politicians are trying to combat the threat of hard-right leaders such as Donald Trump and Nigel Farage by imitating them, Nicola Sturgeon has warned.
The former first minister cautioned that following the anti-immigration rhetoric of parties like Reform UK was blaming the wrong people for society’s problems and would lead down “the road to ruin”.
Sturgeon told Bylines Scotland: “Trying to see off Reform by being a bit more like them is a recipe for disaster.”
It comes after Labour launched a series of adverts, branded in Reform UK’s cyan blue, touting the UK Government’s hard-line stance on immigration.
Sturgeon warned: “We are in danger of blaming the wrong people for the problems we have.
“We must stand up for a progressive, inclusive, equal society; a vision of society we believe in. That’s the choice politicians have.
“Do you try to tackle the right by imitating them, or do you stand up for what you believe in? Too many politicians right now are making the wrong choice on that.
“If progressive, liberal people who care about democracy kowtow to the Donald Trumps and Nigel Farages of this world, we are on a pretty rocky path.”
With an increasingly authoritarian government under Trump in the US intervening in world events, Sturgeon said that “democracy is under more question and more threat than at any time in my lifetime”.
“We have to really stand up and fight for democracy,” she said.
“We must make a case for it. That starts in local communities. If you can’t win the argument locally, you’re not going to win it in the country.”
Sturgeon also cautioned about “sucking up” to Trump’s administration. The UK Government has been hesitant to criticise him amid the threat of tariffs affecting economic growth, Labour’s primary concern.
Elsewhere, Sturgeon, who has not yet revealed if she will stand in the 2026 Holyrood elections, was asked about her future plans.
She reiterated that she had not come to a final decision on whether to again run to be an MSP, telling Glad Radio: “Whether I was to stand down soon or stay in MSP, with the consent of the people obviously, for another 10 or 20 years, there's always going to be a sense of unfinished business because you always want to see improvements in the lives of people you represent."
