Summerwater’s Dougray Scott hits out at Reform and Nigel Farage’s rhetoric: “Utterly disgusting”

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Dougray Scott has strongly criticized Reform UK and Nigel Farage for what he considers deeply offensive and unpleasant language regarding immigration.

Scottish actor Peter Capaldi, known for roles in films like Mission: Impossible 2 and TV shows including Desperate Housewives and adaptations of Irvine Welsh’s work, recently discussed his new project, Summerwater. This Channel 4 drama, based on Sarah Moss’s popular novel, explores the growing conflicts among people staying at a holiday park in Scotland over the course of a single day.

The majority of visitors to the holiday park are British, but Alina, a Polish waitress vacationing there with her family, creates tension. The series is described as a compelling look at the divisions within contemporary Britain.

He explained that his character holds xenophobic views, frequently referring to ‘those people,’ which he believes is very harmful. He emphasized the power of language and how the way we group people – specifically, drawing a distinction between ‘us’ and ‘them’ based on ethnicity and national origin – can be dangerous. Essentially, he felt the character’s language targeted people who aren’t white or native to the country.

It’s easy to see how quickly that argument falls apart – you can question it in just a few seconds. The idea of a single ‘us’ doesn’t really exist; we’re a diverse mix of cultures, religions, and people from all different backgrounds. This naturally extends to differences in gender, sex, and sexuality as well.

Honestly, watching the rise of Reform and figures like Nigel Farage, I’m deeply disturbed. It feels like that same old, coded language of white supremacy is creeping back into the conversation, and it’s just…repulsive. It doesn’t reflect my values, or how I see the world, or frankly, the reality of life here or anywhere else. It’s a really unpleasant undercurrent, and I find it deeply distasteful.

Scott mentioned a character who expresses a desire to leave the UK, feeling it has changed for the worse.

He announced he was going to move and live in a different place. As a result, he explained, he would become an immigrant.

We need to address the issue of immigration and refugees. The current crisis is largely a result of past actions by developed countries – like Britain and its imperial history – and our involvement in global affairs. These actions have created a ripple effect, leading to the difficult circumstances these people now face.

Valene Kane, who portrays Justine – a woman vacationing with her husband and their children, but feeling disconnected from him – explained that the film Summerwater “reflects aspects of ourselves in its characters and story.”

Many of the characters express opinions that are unpleasant, things we’ve probably all thought or said ourselves. The goal is to encourage people to be more mindful of the casual, thoughtless things they say, because words have power.

You can watch the final episode of Summerwater tonight at 9pm on Channel 4. All episodes are also available to stream online at Channel 4.

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2025-11-17 14:34