Reform will not do as well in Scotland as people think, Baillie predicts

Reform UK will not do as well at next year’s Scottish Parliament election as many people think, Dame Jackie Baillie has predicted.

Scottish Labour’s deputy leader downplayed Nigel Farage’s electoral chances in Scotland, as some polls suggest his party could win third place at Holyrood next year.

Speaking during a visit to Robin House, a children’s hospice in Balloch, on Tuesday, Dame Jackie said her party will “work with everybody” if it returns the most MSPs – but she is “not planning” any coalition deals.

Holyrood’s proportional representation system makes it difficult for any one party to secure a majority, meaning the governing party usually needs to work with others to pass budgets and legislation.

Asked which parties Scottish Labour will work with if it wins the election, Dame Jackie told the PA news agency: “Listen, I aim to win. I always have in this seat [Dumbarton]. I’ve won this seat consistently year after year. I want us to win across Scotland.

“I would work with everybody, but I’m not planning to go into coalition – I’m planning to win and that’s my ambition.

“That’s what I’m selecting candidates to do. That’s what (Scottish Labour leader) Anas Sarwar and I are building a policy platform to do – it’s to win, and I’m serious about it.”

“At the end of the day, I want to win.”

Most recent polling has put Reform UK in third place in Scotland, with two nudging the party past Labour into second place behind the SNP.

But on Tuesday, Dame Jackie said she thinks Reform will not do as well as many suggest.

“I don’t think Reform is going to do as well as everybody thinks in the Scottish Parliament elections,” she said.

“But let’s see. I’m not one for being complacent.

“We want to listen to the people of Scotland. We want to act on their concerns, and we want to replace the SNP with a Scottish Labour government that will deliver for them.”

Thomas Kerr, a Reform UK councillor in Glasgow, said: “Jackie Baillie’s contempt shows how rattled Labour is at Reform.

“They sneer while Scots suffer. The SNP wrecked Scotland and Labour cheered them on.

“Reform will tear down their mess and give working people back their voice.”