Lord Offord named as Reform UK's Scottish leader
Lord Offord, a former Conservative minister, has been appointed as the new leader of Reform UK in Scotland. The announcement was made by Nigel Farage at an event in Fife. Lord Offord will lead the party into the Scottish Parliament elections this May, where Reform UK hopes to win several seats. He has officially resigned from the House of Lords to stand for election to Holyrood, claiming that the upcoming vote is now a direct race between his party and the SNP.
Nigel Farage told reporters that the party has seen a surge in interest, with over 12,000 members now signed up in Scotland. He believes many Scottish voters are looking for a fresh alternative because they are unhappy with how the SNP has run the country. Farage also claimed he has been in talks with high-profile Conservatives, including Robert Jenrick, suggesting that more senior politicians might consider switching to Reform because they fear the Conservative Party will be heavily defeated in the May elections.
Before joining Reform, Lord Offord had a long career with the Conservatives. He was a prominent businessman who donated nearly £150,000 to the Tory party before being made a life peer by Boris Johnson in 2021. He served as a junior minister in both the Scotland Office and the Department for Business and Trade. His move to Reform follows the party's first ever Scottish election win in a West Lothian council by-election last month.
Recent opinion polls suggest that Reform UK is gaining significant momentum in Scotland and could even challenge Labour for second place. While Lord Offord’s new party has faced criticism over some of its social media adverts, he insisted they would focus on a positive campaign. He will be joined by Graham Simpson, another former Conservative MSP who switched to Reform last year, as they attempt to change the political landscape in Scotland.
