Rocky path ahead if politicians kowtow to Trump and Farage, warns Sturgeon
The former Scottish first minister urged ‘progressive, liberal people’ to fight back.
The world will be on a “rocky path” if politicians “kowtow” to the likes of Donald Trump and Nigel Farage, former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
Movements in the style of the two men have seen increased political success in recent years, but Ms Sturgeon has urged “progressive, liberal people who care about democracy” to fight back.
Speaking to community radio station Glad Radio, she said politicians in the UK have a “choice” to make regarding fending off the threat of Mr Farage’s Reform UK and its surging poll ratings – to copy them or be an alternative.
While she said work should continue to try and build a relationship with the US given its status in the world, Ms Sturgeon said: “If we don’t stand up now and fight for democracy, fight for a view of the world that values everybody for who they are and says that it’s right to support people from excluded groups in society to be more involved.
“If we don’t stand up for all of that, if we don’t be very mindful of the power of China and Russia and the changing dynamics in the world, if we don’t absolutely get to grips with the climate crisis, then the world we’re going to bequeath to those that come after us is not one that I would have ever wanted to contemplate.
“So this next few years, if progressive, liberal people who care about democracy kowtow to the Donald Trumps and Nigel Farages of this world, then we’re on a pretty rocky path.
“I hope that’s not what happens, I hope we see a coming together of those forces to stand up and actually defend the form and the vision of the world we want to see.”
Mr Farage has been a key ally of the US president, having spoken at rallies in America in support of him, with Reform UK unofficially aligned with Mr Trump’s party and seeing poll numbers suggest multiple MSPs could be sent to Holyrood by the party following next year’s election.
“Do you try to tackle Reform and Nigel Farage and their pretty odious form of politics by imitating them, trying to be more like them?” Ms Sturgeon said.
“Even if you don’t have a concern in principle about that, and I really do, if you offer people a pale imitation of the real thing, they’re always just going to vote for the real thing.
“I think that’s what (Prime Minister) Keir Starmer’s trying to do, he’s trying to see off the threat of Reform by being a bit more like them and I think that’s a recipe for failure and disaster.
“The other option politicians have is to stand up and be the alternative.”
The former first minister resigned in 2023, shocking the political landscape at the start of what would be a torrid 18 months for the SNP.
Many have speculated the polarising debate around gender reforms proposed by her government – and subsequently blocked by Westminster – were a factor in her decision to quit.
Asked if she felt she had spent too much time on the issue, Ms Sturgeon described the assertion as “bunkum”.
She said: “If people are talking about trying to deliver greater dignity and respect for that tiny, tiny proportion of the population who are trans – I didn’t spend much time quantitatively on that, but do I regret trying to reduce stigma and discrimination and trauma and heartache for that tiny number of people in our society? No – because of one of the things that burns passionately in me is a belief in equality, a hatred of discrimination and prejudice.
“It often strikes me – obviously not everybody, I’m talking about only some people – but some of my loudest critics on that issue are the ones that don’t talk about anything else other than that issue, rather than me doing that.
“I think people should sometimes take a step back and ask themselves if what they’re reflecting on to me is something in their own sense of the world.”
