Greer sparks outrage over 'Reform plan concentration camps' claim

By TOM GORDON, SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 21:26, 5 May 2026 | Updated: 21:26, 5 May 2026 Ross Greer was yesterday told to apologise over claims Reform UK are planning ‘actual concentration camps’ for migrants. The Scottish Greens co-leader called Nigel Farage’s party ‘evil’ for proposing to site secure detention facilities for those awaiting deportation in Green-voting areas. Jackson Carlaw, Scottish Tory candidate for Eastwood, and home to Scotland’s biggest Jewish community, said: ‘Ross Greer should apologise for his offensive choice of words. ‘Given the profound anxiety Jewish communities are currently experiencing, politicians have a duty to be sensitive and responsible – especially those in a party with such a dubious record on anti-Semitism as the Greens, the only party which has disgracefully refused to accept the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism.’ Zack Polanski, the Greens’ leader in England and Wales, last week apologised over his response to the stabbing of two Jewish people in Golders Green, London. Mr Polanski said he acted ‘in haste’ when shared a social media post criticising the police for ‘kicking a mentally ill man in the head’ when arresting the suspected attacker. Mr Greer made his comments while promoting his predecessor Lorna Slater as the Green candidate in Edinburgh Central and said she was set to defeat SNP Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson, ending his Holyrood career. Ross Greer has been criticised for claiming Reform are planning 'actual concentration camps' Zack Polanski, the Greens’ leader in England and Wales, last week apologised over his response to the stabbing of two Jewish people in London . He said: ‘Where people have come into our communities – either as immigrants or asylum seekers – they should be in actual housing, not locked up in hotels or, as Reform are proposing, actual concentration camps.’ Asked about referring to ‘concentration camps’ given the Nazi association, he added: ‘There’s a difference between a concentration camp and a death camp, an extermination camp. Clearly, those are different things. ‘Britain invented concentration camps during the Boer War. What Reform are proposing is a concentration camp, where you detain and concentrate a group of people. That is evil and genuinely wicked politics – especially in an area where people voted a way which Reform and Nigel Farage don’t like. But that is exactly what they are proposing, and they need to own that.’ The Nazis set up concentration camps to house prisoners without trial, starting with Dachau, near Munich, in 1933. Extermination camps designed to murder millions of Jews came later, but conditions were so barbaric in concentration camps that around 1 million people died there. Asked if he was trying to scare voters, Mr Greer said: ‘They [Reform] have proposed concentration camps for migrants, and have proposed doing it in areas which vote for the Greens and parties they don’t like. ‘That is straight from the Donald Trump playbook. It’s for them to defend threatening voters like that.’ Glasgow Reform councillor Thomas Kerr said: ‘Ross Greer and his merry band of crackpots constantly tell us how loving and warm these illegals are, so I’m confused why he now believes we are attempting to “intimate” voters? Could it be he is the classic wishy-washy, wokey Leftie who preaches do as I say, not as I do?’ No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.