Reform UK Proposes Criminalizing Non-English Election Materials

The political party Reform UK proposed an amendment to the Representation of the People Bill that would require election materials, including posters and placards, to be written in either English or Welsh. The proposal includes penalties for violators ranging from fines to six months in prison.

The Scottish National Party and the Scottish Greens condemned the move, calling it "despicable" and "anti-Scottish." Critics argued the amendment would criminalize the use of Gaelic and Scots in political campaigning, while the Scottish Greens warned it could also criminalize British Sign Language.

Reform UK responded by stating the amendment was intended only for application in England and Wales. The party attributed the inclusion of Scottish criminal punishments to an "administrative mess up" by the Table Office. Reform UK MSP Max Bannerman defended the measure as a way to ensure elections are fought in domestic languages rather than Urdu or Bengali.

Bannerman further stated that he is exploring a separate Bill for the Scottish Parliament to ensure future Scottish elections are conducted exclusively in Gaelic, Scots, and English.