How do Aberdeenshire Reform campaigners feel about asylum protests and Nigel Farage’s immigration policies?

Nigel Farage’s controversial blueprint to drastically cut illegal immigration comes as major protests flare up outside north-east hotels housing asylum seekers.

The Reform UK leader wants mass deportations if he becomes prime minister and would even strike deals with despotic regimes like the Taliban.

Are key figures backing his party in the north-east comfortable with his proposals, and are they at all worried about heated demonstrations gripping the region?

‘Protests should be peaceful’

An anti-migrant demonstration in Aberdeen on August 30 was the latest in a series of rallies in the north-east.

A smoke canister was thrown in the street outside the city’s former Patio hotel, which is currently used to house asylum seekers.

One week earlier around 200 anti-immigration demonstrators rallied outside the Hampton by Hilton hotel in Westhill.

Some were heard chanting “send them home”.

Both demonstrations were met by anti-racism counter-protesters.

Elsewhere in Scotland, one activist was seen holding a banner which read “kill ‘em all” at a rally.

Reform campaigners in the north-east admit to being uneasy at some of the extremist rhetoric, even though they believe people are right to be angry.

“I haven’t been involved in any of them, and I won’t be,” said north-east businessman Conrad Ritchie, who stood for Reform in a Fraserburgh by-election last year.

“That’s the Reform policy.

“We are not far-right.

“We don’t want to be associated with nutters.

“I totally understand why people are doing it, but there needs to be a logical approach.”

Former Aberdeen South MP Ross Thomson, who joined Reform in June, said any calls for violence were unacceptable.

“All protests should be peaceful and respectful,” he told the Press and Journal.

He claimed protests were happening because “the government has failed to get a grip”.

“What you’re seeing is a manifestation of people’s anger,” said the former Conservative.

‘It’s unsustainable’

The immigration debate will not go away ahead of next year’s Holyrood election.

At the same time, support for Reform in Scotland has grown and polls suggest the party is likely to return north-east candidates to Holyrood in May.

The party is already represented by Aberdeen-born Graham Simpson who jumped ship from the Tories last week.

He was unveiled by Nigel Farage during a press conference on August 27.

The party has also benefited from defections at council level in the north-east.

Based on current UK-wide polling, Mr Farage could be the next prime minister – even if that is still years away.

Mr Farage told The Times he would carry out “mass deportations” of illegal migrants.

Asylum seekers would be arrested and detained upon arriving in the UK.

And the Reform leader would even be willing to work closely with authoritarian regimes like the Taliban to ensure his plans can go ahead.

The Taliban even appeared to signal their willingness to work with Mr Farage.

Do the proposals make those backing Reform in the north-east at all concerned?

Not at all, in Mr Thomson’s case.

“It’s unsustainable right now,” he said.

“Everything that’s been done to date by the government has not worked.”

Mr Thomson said US President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on border crossings in the United States serve as the perfect model for Reform.

“We need to have a robust message to people that if you do break the law to come here, then you will be deported,” he said.

But despite momentum being behind him, Mr Farage is divisive.

Six in 10 people in Britain have a negative opinion of him, according to polling agency YouGov.

In another survey, 45% of those who responded said it would be “completely unacceptable” to pay the Taliban in order to return illegal migrants.

Mearns councillor Laurie Carnie, who defected to Reform last year, admitted she would be “very wary” about dealing with the Taliban.

She believes there would have to be “proper communication” about how any arrangements with the Afghan leaders would work.

But the Aberdeenshire councillor was otherwise fully behind Mr Farage’s immigration policy.

“He’s speaking on behalf of most people,” she said.

“It’s forefront in everybody’s thoughts. It’s the hot topic.”

[Source: Press and Journal]