John Swinney holds further talks with police as authorities remain ‘vigilant’

John Swinney has held further talks with police as authorities remain “vigilant” for potential disorder in Scotland following riots elsewhere in the UK.

Scotland’s First Minister said there is “no place in Scotland for hatred of any kind” and has been in contact with Police Scotland throughout the week amid fears the disorder witnessed in England and Northern Ireland could take place in Scotland.

He held further talks with the force on Friday to receive a further update on preparedness should any disorder emerge in Scotland over the weekend.

There have been no far-right demonstrations, or counter protests, in Scotland as yet, though anti-racism protests are planned in a number of Scottish cities on Saturday with one in Paisley and one in Bathgate on Friday.

Mr Swinney said: “The last few days have been a challenging and worrying time for many with the scenes of violence unfolding in other parts of the United Kingdom.

“I would like to thank Police Scotland for their continued work to protect our communities.

“Their ongoing engagement across Scotland and enhanced patrols are vital to support community cohesion and ensure public safety.

“We remain vigilant to the potential for disorder in Scotland and I have been reassured by Police Scotland that it has the capability and resources in place to respond should we face similar challenges, and that plans and preparations are in place to ensure everybody is kept safe.”

He added: “While officers and staff are doing their part to keep us all safe – there is no place in Scotland for hatred of any kind, and each of us has a responsibility to confront racism and religious prejudice, including Islamophobia, wherever and whenever it appears, and do all we can to strengthen community cohesion.”

Mr Swinney has also told social media giants “immediate action” must be taken to crack down on disinformation and racism following concerns it has exacerbated tensions in other parts of the country.

In a letter to X, TikTok, and Meta – which owns Facebook and Instagram – he said police chiefs in Scotland have raised concerns at the length of time it takes for technology companies to remove “problematic” posts.

The First Minister told social media bosses: “It is clear to me that social media platforms have a duty to take action to ensure that individuals in our society are not subjected to hate and threatening behaviour, and that communities are protected from violent disorder.”

He added: “Everyone has a role in stopping the spread of misinformation. You and your platform have a specific responsibility to do so.”

Police said they are monitoring the situation in Scotland closely.

Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie, of Police Scotland, said: “Officers right across Scotland continue to provide reassurance to communities across the country through enhanced patrols and direct engagement.

“You may see more officers in our towns and cities and we are closely monitoring the situation to ensure any potential for violence or disorder in Scotland is identified quickly and responded to immediately.”

About 120 Police Scotland officers soon will travel to Northern Ireland amid disorder there to help bolster the ranks of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Mutual aid requests are always balanced against the needs of policing in Scotland.

“As a national service, Police Scotland has the ability to flex resources where the need is greatest in order to keep people safe.”