REFORM UK are aiming to be the “kingmakers” at the Scottish Parliament election in 2026 – and would vote for Anas Sarwar to become first minister rather than John Swinney, party deputy leader Richard Tice has said.
With Reform UK due to hold its first Scottish conference in Perth on Saturday, Tice told the Telegraph “anything is preferable to the SNP”.
A number of recent opinion polls have suggested Reform is on around 10% of the regional list vote for Holyrood, with analysis predicting this would result in about a dozen MSPs – closely behind the Conservatives’ tally.
At the recent General Election, Reform took 7% of the vote share in Scotland despite very little campaigning north of the Border.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay has spoken of the challenge his party faces from Reform UK.
Tice, the MP for Boston and Skegness, claimed net zero policies are harming Scottish industries and jobs.
“Our ambition is we see it being quite possible that we end up being the kingmakers in the next Holyrood government,” he told the Telegraph.
“From a standing start, give or take at the beginning of this year in Scottish terms, that is a pretty significant and quite achievable observation.
“It’s quite possible that we poll as the third largest party in terms of the number of votes and seats.”
He said Reform will field a full slate of candidates across Scotland, with a particular focus on the north east and Glasgow.
Scottish Labour leader Sarwar was asked about who he would work with after the 2026 vote when he appeared on the Ponsonby and Massie podcast earlier this week.
Sarwar said his party aims to win the election and form a minority government.
He said: “If you’re asking me on an issue by issue basis whether we would seek to find consensus in our Parliament to get things done, of course we would. That’s what our Parliament was designed to do.”
However he said parties of the left need to learn a “fundamental lesson” around why voters are leaving them for parties like Reform, saying they must address the root cause rather than the symptoms.
Sarwar said: “I think if we can get underneath the bonnet and confront the issues, I don’t think we have to have that huge cohort of Reform MSPs people are predicting coming into the Parliament.
“I think we can build a different kind of coalition and a different kind of consensus.”
