NIGEL Farage has doubled-down on his attacks on the Scottish media, claiming our sister paper The Herald colluded with protesters with the “deliberate intention of trying to provoke violence”.
It comes after the Reform UK leader falsely alleged that The Herald had tipped off anti-racism protesters who demonstrated against his appearance in Aberdeen on Monday morning.
Activists from Stand Up to Racism could be heard accusing Farage and his party of bigotry throughout the Aberdeen press conference, and further protests were organised by the campaign group for his appearance scheduled in Hamilton later that day.
However, press and activists were left waiting in a hotel car park while Farage ducked the planned appearance – instead campaigning in Larkhall.
The Reform UK leader’s failure to appear at his own event saw protesters brand him “No-show Nigel”, a chant which was featured on the front page of The National.
Speaking to LBC on Tuesday, Farage was questioned about why he had hid from the media and protesters.
Asked if he had been scared to speak to Scottish voters, Farage said: “What a load of cobblers.
“I had 18 journalists in a room yesterday in Aberdeen and took questions from every single one of them. Keir Starmer would have taken three, Kemi would have taken two. No, absolute nonsense.
"What we did have yesterday, though, was a newspaper called The Herald in Scotland informing protest groups like Antifa where I was going to be with a deliberate intention of trying to provoke violence and discomfort.
“And so, yeah, did we give The Herald and others the slip and go and do campaigning in the streets, meeting normal people without a bunch of thugs with masks on? Yes."
Fraser Adams, a spokesperson for the Stand Up To Racism campaigners, told The National on Monday that Farage’s suggestion they had been tipped off by the media was “absolute nonsense”.
“You can't get this many people to Aberdeen without somebody noticing,” he said. “Aberdeen's an anti-racist city. There are people who are passionate in making sure that Farage does not come to Scotland un-countered, unprotested. We don't need any tips.”
Catherine Salmond, the editor of The Herald, compared Farage’s attacks on her newspaper to US president Donald Trump.
“The responsibility of a trusted news brand is to act with integrity. The idea that The Herald was involved with protests in Aberdeen against Nigel Farage and Reform UK is ridiculous,” she said.
"Our job is to report on the truth and to hold those who do not tell the truth to account.
“Attacking the media has become commonplace under Donald Trump in the US and today we have seen it here in Scotland, by Reform UK, against The Herald. A low tactic and one we should all stand against.”
