FIRST Minister John Swinney has announced a cross-party conference aimed at uniting Scotland’s political representatives and civic society against the “real threat” of the far right.
Speaking in Edinburgh on Wednesday, the SNP leader warned that “storm clouds are gathering”, as he urged people to present a vision of hope to combat the rise of hard-right populist politics.
The First Minister said he would hold a conference at the end of April with a view to establishing a cross-party consensus on how to combat the far-right.
Swinney told an audience in Bute House: “At the start of the year, I warned that failure to pass the [Scottish Government’s] Budget would send a signal that parliament and politics could not deliver. That failure would only serve the interests of an increasingly extreme and far right and leave devolution dangerously exposed.
“But the Budget has passed, and a different story can be told. Our politics – our Parliament – have demonstrated that they work.
“Storm clouds are gathering – we can all see them. The threat from the far right is real. But that leaves me all the more convinced that working together is not only the right choice, but the only choice.
“That is why I want to share with you a new initiative to bring Scotland together in common cause. More unites us than divides us. That is often said. Now is the moment to make it real.
“By uniting behind shared values, shared standards of behaviour, and shared political norms. And unite against the rise of the far right.
“We must all step up. And, as First Minister, I will do exactly that. My role begins by bringing people together.
“So I want to set out details of an initiative that will begin by bringing representatives from civic society, from our churches, our trades unions, from our charities together with the leaders of Scotland’s parliamentary parties.
“This gathering, to be held at the end of April, one year before the next Scottish election is a chance to work together, for decency, democracy and respect.
“I will extend an invitation to leaders from all the parliamentary parties – and wider civic society – to join me in this crucial work.”
Swinney said he wanted "to work together to agree a common approach to asserting the values of our country, to bringing people together, and creating a cohesive society where everyone feels at home".
It comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer used a speech at the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow over the weekend to also warn about the rise of "dangerous right-wing politics".
It comes amid the rise of Reform UK in the polls, the hard-right US government led by Donald Trump backing Vladimir Putin in Russia and Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel – both of whom are wanted for arrest by the International Criminal Court, and Tesla chief executive and far-right agitator Elon Musk sparking copy-cat "Doge" policies in the UK.
Since coming to power in Scotland, Swinney has focused on working with other political parties. His Budget was supported by the Greens and LibDems after deals were struck with both parties.
STUC general secretary Roz Foyer offered Scottish trade unionists' support to the idea.
“The threat of the far-right is a real and present danger both in our politics and our communities," Foyer said. "This announcement from the First Minister is commendable, welcome and shows the seriousness of purpose required to tackle the danger at hand.
“For generations, trade unions have fought against fascism, racism and discrimination both in and outwith the workplace. We will continue that fight.
"It is correct that all groups from across civic society – unions, churches, charities and more – must step up and unite to expunge hatred and division from our streets."
