Scottish minister condemns Reform plan to ‘ban’ Gaelic at elections

Scottish Minister Condemns Reform Plan for Election Language Restrictions

Scottish minister condemns Reform plan to ban - A senior Scottish government official has publicly criticized Reform UK's proposed amendments to election material requirements. The Scottish minister condemns Reform plan to potentially restrict Gaelic, Scots, and British Sign Language during electoral campaigns. Parliamentary business minister Jamie Hepburn wrote to UK democracy minister Samantha Dixon expressing his concerns about the proposed changes.

Details of the Controversial Amendment

The debate centers on an amendment to the Representation of the People Bill introduced by Reform deputy leader Richard Tice. Under the proposal, all election materials including placards, posters, and printed literature would need to be in English or Welsh. Violators could face fines and imprisonment of up to six months.

Reform UK Scotland claims the amendment targets languages not considered "domestic," such as Urdu or Bengali. The party insists Scots, Gaelic, and British Sign Language would remain unaffected. However, the amendment text does not explicitly mention exceptions for these languages.

Scottish Government Response

In his correspondence, Hepburn urged the UK Government to reject both the Reform amendment and a separate Conservative proposal. This Conservative measure would prohibit election materials in "a native language of any foreign country outside the British Islands."

Aspects of these amendments appear to have the potential to impact upon matters devolved to the Scottish Parliament. I am concerned that NC107 in particular takes no account of Gaelic, Scots or British Sign Language.

Hepburn emphasized that Scottish Gaelic, Scots, and British Sign Language all hold legal recognition within Scotland. He argued that Scotland's tradition of respecting these languages stands in direct opposition to the amendments.

As you will know, Scottish Gaelic, Scots and BSL are all legally recognised languages in Scotland, and the ethos of our respect for these languages run contrary to these amendments which show an entire lack of understanding of Scotland.

Political Reactions and Government Stance

Politicians from multiple parties have voiced opposition to the proposed changes. Scottish Greens and Labour representatives have criticized the amendments, while SNP members characterized them as offensive to Scottish interests.

Scottish Labour MP Torcuil Crichton, who speaks Gaelic, shared his concerns on social media. He questioned whether Reform wanted to outlaw Gaelic speakers in their own country. Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay warned that the proposals could result in imprisonment for creating campaign videos in sign language.

Much of my election material is in Gaelic – do Reform want to outlaw me in my own country?

A UK Government spokesperson confirmed they would not accept these amendments. The government stated that everyone in society should participate in democracy, and voters from all communities need access to campaign material they can read. Reform UK has been contacted for further comment on the matter.