Standing With Glasgow’s Multilingual Children Against Farage’s Bigotry

Robina Qureshi, CEO, has issued the following response to Nigel Farage’s claim that Glasgow’s multilingual pupils are “not diversity” but a “cultural smashing” of the city:

To every multilingual child in Glasgow and beyond, bravo. Growing up with more than one language sharpens attention, flexibility and problem solving. Glasgow needs more multilingual children, not fewer.

Farage is targeting the children of people of colour and of refugee or immigrant backgrounds. It is harmful and dangerous.

Speaking more than one language is an advantage. To go after migrant children, when racist abuse is already a daily reality for many, is another calculated dog whistle. Glasgow is a migrant city shaped by generations of movement and resistance. 

Look at the city’s classrooms. Gaelic-medium schools where 1400 children speak Gaelic as their first language. Children who speak Urdu, Polish, Arabic or Romanian at home. But his outrage is not about language. It is about who he thinks gets to belong.

Farage is also facing detailed allegations from former classmates and a teacher that he used racist and antisemitic language throughout his school years. He built his Brexit platform by stoking fear of immigrants and he is doing it again here.

This time he is being called out. Scotland, and Glasgow has a strong tradition of protest. People here, of every colour and background, will not let him turn our children into targets.

See also:

Farage criticised after harmful claim about Glasgow pupils.  https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/westminster/25671630.farage-criticised-harmful-claim-glasgow-pupils/

Farage's Glasgow Dog Whistle: https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2025/12/03/farages-glasgow-dog-whistle/