First Minister John Swinney said he hopes to agree “concrete steps” to protect Scotland’s democratic system at a meeting of political and civic leaders.

About 50 organisations, including political parties, faith groups and charities, are attending the forum in Glasgow.

Swinney told the BBC that Scotland’s shared values were under “huge threat” from disinformation and pressure from the “hard right”.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, whose party were previously linked to the far right by the first minister, told BBC Scotland News they were at “the centre ground of public opinion” and were “never part of the far right”.

He said the summit showed “the great and the good” of Scottish politics were running scared of his party, which was not invited to attend.

All Holyrood parties except the Conservatives are attending the event.

When Swinney announced plans to hold the forum in February, he said parties had to unite to “lock out” the “far right” from Scottish politics.

He specifically mentioned Reform UK, which polls suggest could make an electoral breakthrough in Scotland in next May’s Holyrood election.

Reform insists it opposes far-right extremism.

The party was not specifically mentioned at the event, with four topics discussed -inequality and discrimination, media and misinformation, trust in politics, and democratic participation.

In an opening speech, the first minister said the day was “about talking and listening, but it also must be about acting” and that he hoped there would be progress on a “shared statement of principles” regarding democratic debate.

He quoted the late Pope Francis by saying “new paths” may be needed and that those in attendance needed to take “collective responsibility” to protect “values and the attributes of our society”.

He said: “This gathering ultimately is about the quality of our democracy. It’s not about symptoms, for example, how people choose to vote, but it’s very much about identifying and seeking to understand deeper causes. What, at a deeper level, is driving disenchantment and polarisation?”

Swinney added the issue was not Scotland specific but a global one, with “anti-democratic forces and arguments gaining ground across the world”.

A group of Reform activists protested outside the summit, displaying placards that called Swinney and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar “democracy deniers” for the decision not to invite their party.

Farage told the BBC: “Everyone’s invited to discuss the far right – the only people not invited are Reform UK and the implication of that is that the Scottish political establishment is scared of Reform UK and is subtly trying to say ‘they’re not here as they’re what we fear’.”

Farage added that a representative from Reform – who do not have any MSPs – would have attended the meeting if invited.

He said he had “done more to knock back the far right in British politics than anyone else alive”, citing Reform taking support away from the British National Party in the north of England.

A separate group of about five or six anti-immigration protesters also protested at the building, displaying banners calling for mass deportations.

Reform councillor Thomas Kerr, who defected from the Conservatives in January, disassociated Reform from the protesters.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay last week confirmed he would not attend the event.

He told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme it was a “taxpayer-funded SNP talking shop” and accused the first minister of “grandstanding”.

He said: “Politicians time would be better spent dealing with real world issues.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton accused Findlay of deciding to “skulk at home”.

He said: “At this summit, I will make clear to the first minister that the best way to win back many of those who feel disaffected is to deliver on the things that matter, like access to local healthcare, education and the cost of living.”

The MSP added: “You persuade no-one by labelling them or diminishing how they feel; you need to listen to them and govern well.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar accused Swinney of drawing attention to Reform UK instead of focusing on important issues such as education and the NHS.

He said: “John Swinney is talking Reform UK up because it’s a helpful political tool for his party, rather than taking on the issues that are pushing people towards them.

“I will engage with all concerned to tackle the rise of divisive politics, but what we can’t allow to happen is for this summit to look like the Scottish establishment talking to itself.”

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie warned ministers must not legitimise the policies of the far-right ahead of the next Holyrood election.

He said: “You can’t beat the far right by acting like them; legitimising their toxic rhetoric simply makes them louder and draws more media attention.”

Harvie added: “People across Scotland need real change to improve their lives in the face of a broken economic system that is entrenching inequality.”

When this “summit” was originally announced John Swinney made clear he wanted to counter the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party and others to the right of the Holyrood mainstream.

His plans have since been filtered by Scottish government civil servants and a less partisan format produced for this gathering of political, faith and civic leaders.

They are focussed on four key themes: tackling misinformation, reducing inequality and discrimination, improving trust in politics and guarding against electoral interference.

Mr Swinney hopes these discussions can result in “concrete steps” to defending shared values and the way democratic debate is traditionally conducted in Scotland.

Reform UK say their exclusion is a denial of democracy and both the Conservatives and Labour worry the gathering focusses too much attention on Nigel Farage’s party at a time when polls suggest it is eating into their support.