Comments that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage made about Glasgow schoolchildren are “simply racist”, First Minister John Swinney has said.
Mr Farage, in a video on social media, claimed one in three schoolchildren in Glasgow do not speak English as their first language.
He said: “This is not diversity, as the left always preach, this actually is the cultural smashing of Glasgow.
“It’s turning it into a completely different city in every way. My question is, who voted for this? Who told anybody in Scotland this was actually happening?”
Speaking to media on Thursday, Mr Swinney said the comments demonstrated that Mr Farage is “a purveyor of racist views”.
He said: “I think Nigel Farage’s comments are just quite simply racist. That’s what they are. There’s no other way to describe it.
“I don’t know quite when we believed that multilingualism was something of a problem in our society, and certainly not the view I take. I think it’s a benefit. I think it reflects the diversity of our country.
“I think what these comments from Nigel Farage demonstrate is that he is a purveyor of racist views and people should think about that long and hard before they think about voting for his party.”
Reform UK has been approached for comment.
