![\"Nigel](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_The-Electoral-Commission-said-it-has-not-identified-spending-at-Nigel-Farages-constituency-during-.jpeg\")
Nigel Farage was accused of having no interest in fixing Scotland(Image: PA Wire)<\/p>\n‘Reform UK thrive on frustration and division, I reject that politics completely – Scotland does not need louder shouting, it needs leadership’, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar writesNigel Farage was accused of having no interest in fixing Scotland(Image: PA Wire)<\/p>\n
I have always loved Christmas<\/a>.<\/p>\n The simple things matter most. Time with family, a proper dinner, a chance to pause and catch your breath. But as Christmas fades and the New Year begins, something else always kicks in too. We start thinking about what comes next. About what kind of year this will be<\/a>, and what kind of country we want to live in.<\/p>\n Because this year is different. In just a few months\u2019 time, the people of Scotland will face a choice that will shape our future. Not a distraction. Not a rerun of old arguments. A real choice about who governs Scotland<\/a> and what direction we take. Who leads Scotland matters. The decisions taken at Holyrood affect the daily lives of everyone in Scotland.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Reform and Tories ‘defending cruelty’ over support for trail hunting<\/a>READ MORE: Keir Starmer told what his No1 priority must be to avert Nigel Farage disaster<\/a> They matter when you are waiting hours in A&E. When your child does not get the support they need at school. When young people feel they have to leave Scotland to succeed. When communities feel less safe and public services no longer work as they should.<\/p>\n After almost two decades in power, the SNP have run out of excuses. Scotland\u2019s NHS is under unbearable pressure. Waiting lists are too long and staff are exhausted. Standards in education have slipped and too many young people feel locked out of opportunity. Families are struggling while ministers change the subject.<\/p>\n If things were going well, the SNP would want this election to be about their record. They do not. Instead, they talk about anything else. Westminster. England. Anyone but themselves. That tells you everything you need to know.<\/p>\n And while Nigel Farage and Reform will happily tell people that Scotland is broken, they have no interest in fixing it. They thrive on frustration and division. I reject that politics completely. Scotland does not need louder shouting. It needs leadership.<\/p>\n This election is about offering something Scotland has not had for nearly twenty years. A genuine alternative. A government that focuses on the basics and works as hard as the people it serves.<\/p>\n A Scottish Labour government will cut NHS waiting lists, back our NHS staff and make sure you can see a GP when you need to. We will raise standards in education so every child gets the best start in life and every young person has a future here. We will rebuild safe communities, support good jobs, grow our economy and respect taxpayers\u2019 money.<\/p>\n I believe things are broken because of political choices. That means they can be fixed by better ones. So as we begin this New Year, the choice could not be clearer. More of the same, or a new direction. Excuses or solutions. Division or leadership.<\/p>\n I am ready to make the case for change. And in May, I hope the people of Scotland are ready to choose it. This is the year Scotland decides its future.<\/p>\n In recent years the world has often felt like an insecure and dangerous place.<\/p>\n ‘We need to stand firm against the rising tide of fear and hatred’<\/p>\n Ukrainians are fighting to protect their freedom in the face of Russian aggression, and the people of Israel and Palestine are searching for a lasting peace after years of bloodshed.<\/p>\n We have witnessed heartbreaking human suffering and huge political upheaval across the globe. But even in the darkest times we cannot give in to despair.<\/p>\n It is at these times especially that we must hold on to hope and redouble our commitment to peace. We need to stand firm against the rising tide of fear and hatred turning countries, communities and people against each other.<\/p>\n We must believe a better future is possible and do whatever we can to deliver it. As this year ends and a new one begins, we can all hope that it brings a fairer, safer and more secure world for all.<\/p>\n ‘Choosing Christmas telly is about being bold’<\/p>\n We all know the feeling – you have a full house and everyone fancies something different on telly. Some want the Strictly special, maybe that new prestige drama, while others just want to be left to their Festive scrolling. Elf? Home Alone? Die Hard? Democracy isn\u2019t always the way, it\u2019s just about being bold and making a choice despite the opposition around you. And if we ever get around to making one this Christmas I\u2019ll let you know.<\/p>\n ‘Quiet stretch between Christmas and New Year is a gift’<\/p>\n That quiet stretch between Christmas and New Year is a gift. With elections looming in May, I\u2019m banking hours with my kids: walks, games, late breakfasts. Work can wait. Recharge now, reset priorities, and breathe. Hope you all find rest, laughter, and a little calm before the new year kicks off.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"‘Reform UK thrive on frustration and division, I reject that politics completely – Scotland does not need louder…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":657833,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5009],"tags":[31136,748,36195,4884,51245,211,384,285,37122,712,10004,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-657832","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-scotland","8":"tag-anas-sarwar","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-christmas-party","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-new-year","13":"tag-nhs","14":"tag-nigel-farage","15":"tag-politics","16":"tag-public-services","17":"tag-scotland","18":"tag-snp","19":"tag-uk","20":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115791638269173690","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=657832"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/657832\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/657833"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=657832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=657832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=657832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Scottish](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3_Anas-Sarwar-visit-to-South-Lanarkshire.jpg\")
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar tore into Nigel Farage(Image: PA)<\/p>\n