John Swinney branded 'jealous juvenile' by Reform UK

On a visit to a Glasgow chippie - where he revealed two more former Scottish Conservative councillors had defected to Reform, taking their numbers to seven in Scotland - Tice hit out at the First Minister's suggestion that Reform was far right, and its leader Nigel Farage "fundamentally racist".

He also rejected accusations that Reform was too close to both President Trump in the US and to Russia's President Putin - and claimed his party could hit 20 per cent in the polls in Scotland by the summer with its plans to scrap the drive to net zero, and a new slogan "Drill, Scotland, Drill".

Last week John Swinney announced he would host a summit on April 23, of politicians and civic society in Scotland, to to stop "the threat from the far right" saying that included the Reform party.

He went on to accuse Nigel Farage of being "an accomplice to the Russian agenda and an apologist for the Russian agenda."

Invitations have gone out and some party leaders, including Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar, Scottish Green's Lorna Slater and Alba's Ash Regan, have already accepted.

Today speaking to LBC, Tice blasted the idea, claiming both Labour and the SNP are "terrified" of Reform.

"John Swinney of the SNP is terrified of us and making ridiculous, dark comments, honestly, the simple fact is he's a jealous juvenile. It's pathetic.

"He's got nothing sensible to say, because his party have made Scots worse off, and his party has made the Scottish education system worse off. Why the attack? I'll tell you why. Because we're soaring in the polls, and the Tories are now toxic and finished in Scotland, and Labour is very concerned, too.

"And what they're sort of talking about, this sort of summit, getting together, using taxpayers' cash... they're basically a coalition of the terrified.

"They're terrified that actually someone's calling it out and saying 'this is wrong'. We're the party of common sense. We're the party that can make people better off. And I think that's actually how people ultimately will vote with the thought of who's going to make us, who's going to make my family better off, who's going to make work pay, who's going to make risk taking for small businesses like here in this brilliant fish and chip shop, who's going to make it worth employing people?"

Asked how he could be sure of winning MSPs at the next Scottish elections in 2026, with just seven councillors he added: "Rome's not built in a day. But if it's so modest and so irrelevant, then why are we being attacked in such an aggressive way? I'll tell you why. Because they are terrified. They are scared.

"Politics is rough and tumble and we've got thick skins we can take it, but do you know what we're going to do? We're going to win at the ballot box, and it's great that you've got proportional representation for the Holyrood elections. And if we keep going this rate, we're going to win a good number of seats. And they're also now terrified that we're going to be the king makers."

Responding to his remarks, SNP MSP George Adam said: "It’s clear Farage and Tice don’t have a clue about Scotland never mind what’s going on in their own party.

“Their values are not Scotland’s values but pose a threat to our economy and most vulnerable in our society. In a time when many are seeking to divide people and communities, it’s crucial we fight their toxic agenda rather than accepting it.

“That’s what the SNP will continue to do, offering hope and delivering on Scotland’s priorities while the likes of Farage stoke division and fear.”

Mr Tice also rejected the criticisms made of Nigel Farage as a Putin apologist, describing them as "juvenile garbage".

He added: "Let me remind everybody I'm the only senior politician across Scotland or Westminster, who's donated a five figure sum of my own money, bought a 4x4 pick up truck, filled it with medical supplies, drove it with other volunteers to Ukraine, gave it to frontline volunteers and stood with weeping mums over the graves of their sons. I have been robust in my support for Ukraine. Ultimately most conflicts or wars end up in some form of peace negotiation.

Asked if Brexit had put the UK in a weaker position as Keir Starmer was excluded from today's EU leaders' meeting on defence, he said: "It's the opposite. Credit where credit's due, Keir Starmer has had a good week.

"But he's been using the benefits of Brexit actually to act as a bridgehead, a link between United States and EU leaders. And obviously he's been talking quite rightly about a partial trade deal and other benefits of Brexit.

"Also, the reality is it was only Reform UK in the general election, in our contract, said that we should be spending two and a half percent of GDP on defence within three years, three per cent within six years. I'm delighted the Prime Minister is listening to our advice. He's adopting now those same numbers as the government policy, and peace through strength is vital, and we have to remember the lessons of history the best way to guarantee peace is to prepare for war."

Mr Tice also said that his Scottish campaign would focus on ending "net stupid zero" - saying the drive to net zero was costing "tens of thousands of jobs".

When it was pointed out that even the CBI figures showed that in Scotland the net zero industry was contributing £9.1bn to the economy, and creating almost four per cent of jobs at present, he said: "A few 1000 jobs in the green industry is dwarfed by the 10s and 10s of 1000s of jobs that have been and are being destroyed by getting rid of the oil and gas machine.

"We are the only developed nation that has the benefit of huge energy treasure under our feet, oil, gas, shale gas, that stupidly has made the decision not to use it, and it's absolutely that's why we've got the most expensive electricity in the developed world.

"That's why our gas is three times the price of America and guess what? The GDP growth in America is two and a half to three and a half percent year in year round. Maybe we need to learn some lessons from other nations.

"The lunacy of net stupid zero is destroying jobs and industry. I've got a simple slogan, Drill, Scotland, Drill. That's the way to make people people off, to create growth."