The mainstream party summit, proposed by Scotland’s first minister, is set to take place just a year before the 2026 Holyrood election, potentially serving as a power-broker’s platform for politicians to gauge coalition possibilities amid shifting voter intentions.
“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,” Swinney said.
He added that only the “mobilisation of mainstream Scotland” will protect Scottish values from the “extreme far right.”
Swinney spoke after the passage of the 2025–26 Budget, which was approved despite opposition from the Scottish Conservatives and Labour.
“And that is something precious, something vitally important in itself,” he said, before announcing plans to gather representatives of churches, trade unions, and charities, alongside the leaders of Scotland’s parliamentary parties.
The call is an effort to resist Reform UK, which currently doesn’t have any seats in Holyrood and thus misses the cut.
The former Brexit Party has condemned its exclusion from the summit, calling it “unjustified.”
The party, led by Nigel Farage, says the Scottish people are turning to Reform because it represents “real change from the failed status quo in Holyrood.”
In his speech, Swinney acknowledged public frustration over declining living standards and rising costs, but argued that the shift in public opinion towards the “far right” was “wrong.”
“Farage has been for years leading the argument which has been hostile to migration and I think that is based on a fundamentally racist view of the world. I reject that,” said the first minister. He also called Farage “an accomplice to the Russian agenda.”
In response, a Reform spokesperson said that sensible, controlled immigration policy is not racism, but common sense.
“John Swinney’s inflammatory comments should be seen for what they are—nonsense,” spokesperson added.
On Ukraine, Reform distanced itself from Swinney’s accusations of pro-Russian sympathies, saying, “We want Ukraine’s long-term security guaranteed in any deal and recognise that Putin is a despicable aggressor.”
Coalition Politics
The latest Survation poll on Holyrood voting intention placed Reform and the Conservatives in joint third place on 15 seats each, ahead of the Scottish Liberal Democrats (12) and the Scottish Greens (10).While the SNP came first at 31 percent, followed by Labour at 25, it will likely need allies to govern.
The only other pro-independence party that could potentially form a coalition with the SNP is Alba. However, it currently holds just one seat in Holyrood and has only 2 percent support in recent polls.
Scotland’s Holyrood elections use a mixed voting system, with 129 MSPs. The local MSPs (73 seats) are chosen by the candidate with the most votes, while the regional seats (56 seats) are shared to help smaller parties.
A party needs 65 seats for a majority, otherwise it must form alliances. The April gathering could serve as a platform for MSPs to gauge sentiment, assess willingness to collaborate, and explore potential alliances despite disagreements.
So far, Scottish Labour has ruled out forming a coalition with the SNP after next May’s vote. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is determined to lead a minority Scottish Government, but hasn’t ruled out working with other parties on “good ideas,” regardless of where they come from.
Despite past conflicts between the SNP and the Greens, a future alliance is possible if policy differences, particularly regarding environmental issues, are reconciled in the next year.
Meanwhile, the Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has “categorically” ruled out any potential coalition with the SNP post-2026.
The unionist bloc, including the Scottish Conservatives, Labour, and Liberal Democrats, may fear that collaborating with Swinney’s government—even on the sidelines of the summit—could weaken their ability to distinguish themselves as alternatives to the SNP in the next election.
Reform UK is expected to play a pivotal role in the 2026 Holyrood elections, with opposition to net zero policies as a key campaign focus. The party strongly supports continued oil and gas production, aligning with public sentiment.
A recent Opinion Matters poll, conducted for Big Partnership, found that 84 percent of Scots support continued fossil fuel extraction, while 42 percent back a mixed approach, supporting both oil and gas alongside renewables.
Only 7 percent support stopping all oil and gas production immediately.
The Scottish Government, however, remains committed to its legally binding net zero target by 2045, which is five years ahead of the Westminster’s goal.
