In a dramatic turn of events, Lord Offord, a former Conservative minister, has been named as the new Scottish leader of the Reform UK party. The announcement, made by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage at an event in Fife, has sent shockwaves through the Scottish political landscape.
Lord Offord, who is stepping down from the House of Lords to stand for election to the Scottish Parliament, said he sees the upcoming May elections as a “two-horse race” between Reform UK and the Scottish National Party (SNP). The ex-Tory treasurer claimed the party has over 12,000 members in Scotland and a “really talented group of candidates”.
Farage, who confirmed he had held talks with former Conservative frontbencher Robert Jenrick, who was recently sacked for “plotting to defect”, denied that Jenrick’s defection had been agreed. However, just hours later, Jenrick was unveiled as Reform UK’s latest recruit, further fuelling the turmoil within the Conservative Party.
The move by Lord Offord, who previously served as a Tory frontbencher and minister, has been met with a mixed response. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar branded him a “charlatan” who is “pretending to be the great champion of working-class communities”, while the Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay accused Reform UK of being the “party of millionaires and the super-rich”.
First Minister John Swinney dismissed the influx of “London politicians” to Scotland as an attempt to distract from the SNP government’s efforts to address NHS waiting lists, support businesses, and tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
The appointment of Lord Offord as Reform UK’s Scottish leader comes as the party aims to make a major electoral breakthrough north of the border. Recent polls have suggested that Reform UK is on track to challenge Labour for second place behind the SNP in the upcoming Scottish Parliament elections.