John Swinney’s anti-Reform summit was rocked by protesters yesterday after placard-wielding activists accused the SNP of being “democracy deniers”. The Scottish First Minister held the gathering of more than 50 leaders from political parties, civic society, faith communities, and the trade union movement in Glasgow.Demonstrators wore T-shirts saying “not far-right”, with some holding up banners branding Swinney and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar as “democracy deniers.”Reform UK councillor Thomas Kerr, who defected from the Tories, told reporters outside the summit venue: “What’s going on in this building behind us, though, is an affront to democracy.LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ‘Address Scotland’s concerns!’ Tory leader boycotts John Swinney’s anti-Nigel Farage summitSwinney blasted for becoming Farage’s ‘recruiting sergeant’Judiciary slams MSP’s ‘reprehensible’ attack on Supreme Court decision“The First Minister is using taxpayers’ cash to have a summit against a political opponent that he doesn’t like. I think that’s an absolute disgrace.”The Glasgow City Councillor for the Shettleston ward said those attending the summit are “absolutely petrified” of the rise in support for Reform UK, adding: “I don’t blame John Swinney for being terrified. If I was him, I would be as well.”During the summit, Swinney said there are “serious threats to our democratic system and our values in Scotland”.He added: “I want to do everything I can to make sure I can look back with all honesty that I have done everything I can to bring people together to face the threats we are facing.”Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said people were “tempted” by Reform UK were not necessarily “naturally politically inclined” towards Farage.The Scottish Labour leader claimed : “I think many people are going towards that direction, to put it in a crude sense, as an ‘FU’ vote because they are so scunnered with institutions, political parties, with governments.”General secretary of the Scottish Trade Unions Congress Roz Foyer added: “We are seeing rising attacks on vulnerable groups, we are seeing a rising amount of extreme right-wing ideology that is influencing our communities.”The First Minister said it was a “matter of regret” that Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay had declined to attend the summit, after he branded the event a “talking shop.”He said: “This is the start of a process, it is not the end of a process, and the Government will work with others to facilitate discussion on advancing this agenda within Scotland.”The meeting in Glasgow saw those present sign a “mission statement” aimed at “strengthening and protecting democracy in Scotland”. Responding to Swinney’s summit, Farage said: “Everyone’s invited to discuss the far right – the only people not invited are Reform UK and the implication of that is that the Scottish political establishment is scared of Reform UK.”However, polling guru Sir John Curtice told The Scottish Sun: “Mr Swinney, in holding this conference, has basically required the unionist parties to take a stance on Reform and as we could have anticipated, they have taken different.”So, he has helped to sow division within the unionist ranks and led to speculation about what Reform would or wouldn’t do, and I take that to be the political point of the initiative.”
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