There is a new toxic atmosphere in our national politics — and it’s only going to get worse. Last week, over 100,000 marched in London behind far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Asylum seekers continue to be demonised and targeted in protests at hotels. And now polls show Reform UK ten points ahead. A Farage premiership, once unthinkable, now looks increasingly likely.

The rise of the far right feels unstoppable — and it is international. Inspired by Donald Trump, right-wing parties are in the ascendant across Europe. The agenda is the same everywhere: curb immigration, return asylum seekers, and claim that “indigenous” cultures are being overwhelmed. A narrative has been spun that our way of life is under threat from “alien” cultures that supposedly endanger our communities and our safety.

It’s a simple, powerful message — and in an age of political alienation it cuts through. Living standards are falling, the cost of living is soaring, and everything feels hopeless. Easy solutions are seductive: why wrestle with complex problems when you can blame it all on the latest group of arrivals to our shores?

Traditional parties are being swept aside. The Tories look close to disappearing from the political map altogether, and Labour has seen the steepest collapse in support ever experienced by a new government.

For decades politicians like Farage and far right activists like Tommy Robinson have been waiting for this heady mix to come to fruition and it looks like their day has come at last.

As the SNP’s Home Affairs spokesperson, I can only despair at the response from the UK parties to the rise of the far right. Labour’s strategy to beat Farage is to mimic him. This involves being increasingly “tough” on immigration and endlessly coming up with new ways to “stop the boats” and “smash the gangs.” All this does is encourage and embolden Farage who likes nothing more than the battle being waged on his home turf. For all Labour’s attempts to ‘out Farage Farage’ it is perhaps to their credit that regardless of how hard they try they will never outdo him on nasty political rhetoric. All their efforts have done is to legitimise his agenda and ensure his ongoing electoral success.

The Conservatives, meanwhile, are reduced to mere spectators, sulking that their favourite battleground has been so cruelly taken away from them. Having presided over record net migration while pushing the cruel and absurd Rwanda scheme, they have lost all credibility on immigration and can now only wait nervously for the next defection to Reform.

But let’s not kid ourselves that Scotland is immune. Reform MSPs will almost certainly sit in our Parliament next year — perhaps more than a few. Scotland is exposed to the same UK-wide immigration debate as England, and Farage is as much of an ever present on our TV screens here as he is south of the border. While immigration isn’t as high on the agenda in Scotland, it is rising fast. Reform is already neck-and-neck with Labour for second place in Scotland. The far right will be a growing factor in Scottish politics.

The question is: how do we respond?

The SNP has chosen a different path. Instead of pandering to the far right, we are actively challenging it. The First Minister recently brought together political and civic leaders to resist this threat. We use our platforms to speak positively about immigration and the contribution newcomers make to Scotland. Where the debate around immigration doesn’t have the same intensity as it does in England it is creeping up the league table of issues that most concern the Scottish public. We were criticised for referencing Reform in the Hamilton by-election, but we were entirely right to do so. The defining battle in Scotland in the next few years will be between independence-inspired social democracy and the far right. It is a fight we must win.

This matters for three clear reasons. First, for all the far right’s talk of “heritage,” Scotland has always been shaped by immigration. Different waves of newcomers have built our communities and enriched our national character. Secondly, we need immigration: Scotland has one of the worst birth rates and demographic issues in Europe. Without new people we face population decline and face the prospect of dipping below the iconic five million mark, leaving us without enough workers to staff our NHS, support hospitality, tourism and small business. Finally, and most importantly, it is the right thing to do.

As the MP for Perth, I despair at the scenes outside hotels in where asylum seekers are housed in the city I represent. To see vulnerable, traumatised people — fleeing conflict and oppression being shouted at to “go home” is not the Scotland I recognise and believe in.

The next election will be a battle for the soul of our nation — about the kind of country we want to be. England currently looks lost to the far right’s agenda. Scotland must decide whether we want to be part of it, or choose another path. The rise of the far right is not just a political issue — it is now a constitutional one. And we must have the chance to opt out and determine our own future.