Farage Seeks Reform Surge in Scotland Holyrood Elections

Nigel Farage and his Reform UK party are making a significant push in Scottish politics ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, highlighted by a crucial by-election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. Farage has called for scrapping or revising the Barnett Formula, which currently results in Scotland receiving substantially more public spending per capita than England, advocating instead for the Scottish Parliament to have more powers to raise its own revenue. He also demands tax cuts for North Sea oil and gas companies, criticizing the current high tax rates and opposing net zero policies, which he claims harm local industries. Reform UK is emerging as a serious contender, with polls predicting it could become the main opposition party, capitalizing on disillusionment with both the SNP and Labour, particularly among voters frustrated by the perceived continuity of austerity policies. The SNP and Labour remain dominant, but Farage’s party is leveraging anti-establishment sentiment and economic concerns, such as fears of deindustrialization and opposition to net zero, to expand its influence in Scotland. The by-election and these debates over funding, energy policy, and independence signal a fracturing political landscape ahead of the next Holyrood elections.