The Scottish Tory leader has said support for the Reform UK party is "too high" for his liking ahead of the Holyrood elections in 2026.

Speaking to The Herald at a visit to a cafe in Glasgow whilst pulling pints, Mr Findlay said he will have to persuade Reform voters at the next Scottish Parliament elections in 2026 that "Nigel Farage is not the answer" to their problems. 

The Reform UK party will hold a conference in Scotland this weekend. This comes as opinion polling, results at the general election and recent council by-elections suggest Reform may deliver several MSPs to Holyrood in 2026. 

In an exclusive interview with The Herald, the Scottish Conservative leader said: “The number of votes they are getting is too high for my liking as leader of the Scottish Conservative Party and it’s my job to persuade people that we are on their side and we understand their problems, and frankly, Nigel Farage is not the answer.” 

"I’ve been in the job a matter of weeks and my job is to lead the Scottish Conservatives into the critical 2026 election and see the back of this rotten SNP government."

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In three Glasgow council by-elections on Thursday, Reform won 18% of the vote in the northeast of the city and nearly 13 per cent in Maryhill, and Drumchapel and Anniesland.

Nigel Farage has told journalists that Scots are ready to vote for Reform at the Scottish elections because there is no enthusiasm for Labour and the Conservatives have “deserted the pitch”. 

The Clacton MP said his party was winning support across the board north of the border because of “a general sort of fed-upness with Scottish politics”.

However, speaking to The Herald today, Mr Findlay said he will put up a fight against Reform UK in any election. 

The Scottish Conservative leader said: “I will fight for every single vote, whether it’s a council by-election or in the Scottish Parliament. I want to convince anyone whether they have Reform or thinking of voting Reform, that we understand why they feel so disconnected from Scottish politics.”

During his visit to a deli in the West End of Glasgow, Mr Findlay was photographed pulling pints and drinking one.

The Scottish Tory leader joked with photographers and journalists, saying, "This is the eleven o'clock pint but I feel the 10am pint hits the spot better." 

Asked if he is trying to echo similar sentiments of a Nigel Farage photoshoot by pulling pints, Mr Findlay said: “I think every politician in Scotland has done the pint pulling photoshoot. I’ve done my pothole module, my hard hat one and I’ve now done my pint pulling one. I think you’re reading too much into that.” 

During his visit, Mr Findlay called for pubs and restaurants to be given 100% rates relief when the Scottish Budget is introduced next month.

The plan suggested by the party would mean pubs and restaurants would pay no business rates at all next year.

Mr Findlay told The Herald: “We’ve had successive governments in Edinburgh for 17 years which have turned the screw on business at every available opportunity. They don’t understand business, they don’t care about business. They think business is just something that can be bled dry.

"They don’t understand that business is the lifeblood of the economy. A lot of these businesses have not just been hammered by SNP tax rises but by Labour Government’s National Insurance rises. So businesses can’t afford to hire new people, can’t afford to expand and close the doors for good.” 

“I speak with business owners, large, medium and small. There is too much red tape. You’ve got a government which has an anti-business mindset.” 

Asked about whether he agreed with Donald Trump's son, Eric Trump, who recently told PA News Agency that Scotland is "bad for business" due to "a lot of regulation...red tape, insane taxation", Mr Findlay said his comments were similar to what other businesses were telling him. 

“What this individual is saying is consistent with what business owners tell me across Scotland," Mr Findlay said, "There’s the red tape, there’s the taxation, there’s the hostility towards them.” 

However, Mr Findlay said he would "not be drawn" on whether he supports Eric Trump and his views on business.

Asked about other red lines going into talks with the Scottish Government, Mr Findlay told The Herald: “We absolutely will not support any further tax rises. The SNP Government and Labour in charge in the UK, are punishing hardworking Scots who need to be protected by further tax rises.” 

Mr Findlay said if the First Minister is “serious” about helping “hardworking Scots” then he needs to ensure they get to "keep more money they have earned". 

The Scottish Conservatives say their call for 100% tax relief is part of a plan to support business and "undo the damage of SNP tax rises".

Their plans would also offer 40% rates relief for Scottish retail, hospitality and leisure venues and reductions in income tax and LBTT.

The Scottish Government estimates that around half of the properties in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sectors in Scotland will be eligible for 100% relief in 2024-25. 

The calls comes after the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) said MSPs must avoid passing “unwarranted costs” on to businesses in the Government’s spending plans.

The group urged ministers to cut down costs, deliver “competitive” tax and regulations, and combat crime against retailers.

The call follows a letter from the SRC last week warning Finance Secretary Shona Robison that it remains a “testing time for shopkeepers”.

In Scotland, the Small Business Bonus Scheme is available to businesses where the combined rateable value of their premises is £35,000 or less and the values of individual premises are £20,000 or less. 

Commenting on the calls from the Scottish Conservatives on rates relief, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The 2024-25 Scottish Budget delivers a competitive non-domestic rates regime including the lowest poundage in the UK for the sixth year in a row, and a package of reliefs worth £727 million as at 1 June 2024. Our Small Business Bonus Scheme remains the most generous of its kind in the UK.

“Decisions on non-domestic rates for next year will be considered in the context of the Scottish Budget 2025-26. Ministers are committed to building as broad support as possible across Parliament, engaging with all parties ahead of the draft budget being published on December 4.”