Nigel Farage is “selling snake oil”, former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
She spoke about the Reform UK leader on Monday evening at Wigtown Book Festival, where she was discussing her new memoir, Frankly.
When asked about voters being disillusioned with the established parties, Ms Sturgeon said Mr Farage’s party had risen because “people are alienated from traditional politics”.
She said: “Those problems are not imagined, they’re real. And no politician worth their salt should pretend that if people are being tempted by Farage, it makes them bad people.
“But Farage is selling snake oil, and he’s looking for scapegoats. Farage’s analysis is that it’s all immigrants that are causing the problems. But the idea that the UK’s problems are down to immigration is just nonsense.
“Most migrants who come to the UK come to work or to study. The reason irregular illegal immigration has gone up is Brexit.
“The problems the UK are suffering right now largely stem from the financial crisis exacerbated by Brexit. Who was the chief proponent of Brexit? Yes, I am talking about you, Mr Farage.”
Ms Sturgeon called on “left and progressive politicians” to come up with solutions to the problems people are concerned with.
She said: “So, for goodness’ sake, can politicians of the left and progressive politicians find a backbone, start taking on the nonsense Farage is spouting and come up with better solutions to the problems people are experiencing?”
Sir Keir Starmer was also mentioned by Ms Sturgeon at the event as she said she believed the Prime Minister “legitimises” Mr Farage.
She said: “If I’ve got a real gripe – and I’m sure I’ve got more than one – with Keir Starmer right now, it is that instead of offering better alternatives and better solutions than Farage, he seems to legitimise Farage by effectively saying ‘Yeah, yeah, immigration is the problem’.”
Ms Sturgeon also revealed she is in the early stages of writing a murder mystery novel.
She had discussed the idea of a novel with her friend, the Scottish crime writer Val McDermid, and referred to it as a “counterfactual political thriller”.
The former SNP leader said: “I am going to give it a go. And I’ve kind of started, and let’s just say it’s in the realms of a political thriller. It’s a bit of a counterfactual political thriller.
“I did think when I first started, though, that the problem I might have – given the long years I’ve spent in politics – is there are probably too many people I want to kill. So you might have a murder literally on every page.”
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “Nicola Sturgeon should perhaps pick up the phone to her council group in Glasgow who have spent weeks demonising migrants to distract from the financial crisis in local government she started and John Swinney continued.
“Labour is leading the fight against the divisive grievance politics peddled by Nigel Farage, while Nicola Sturgeon continues to fade from relevance.”
Reform UK has been approached for comment.
