Ukip expects to win seats at Holyrood in the next Scottish elections, according to the party’s leader.
The Eurosceptic party also expects to send Scottish MEPs to the European Parliament in 2014, Nigel Farage said.
In an interview with Holyrood magazine, Mr Farage said his party was in the process of selecting Scottish candidates for Europe and the Scottish Parliament, with the next elections for the latter to be held in 2016.
He said that while in the past UKIP has found it difficult to make political headway north of the border, the current debate surrounding both an independent Scotland’s place in the EU and Prime Minister David Cameron’s proposed Europe referendum will make a difference.
He added: “The SNP argument of Scottish independence trumps any argument about Europe, and frankly the Scots haven’t had a European debate because they are having their own argument about their relationship with the UK.”
At the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2011, UKIP’s policies included replacing MSPs with Scottish Westminster MPs, repealing climate change laws and halting proposed wind farm projects, and scrapping the smoking ban.
