In a significant blow to the Scottish Conservatives, a senior Tory peer and former government minister has crossed the floor to join Reform UK.
A High-Profile Defection in Falkirk
Lord Malcolm Offord, a life peer and former Scotland Office minister, was unveiled as Reform's latest recruit by party leader Nigel Farage at a rally in Falkirk on Saturday. The Scottish financier, who was also serving as the Scottish Conservatives' treasurer, used the event to launch a scathing attack on his former party.
Mr Farage hailed the move as a "brave and historic act" and stated that Lord Offord would "take Reform UK Scotland to a new level." The defection marks another coup for Reform as it seeks to build momentum ahead of the Scottish Parliament elections in May 2026.
Offord's Pledge to Campaign for Holyrood
In his speech, Lord Offord confirmed his intention to stand for a seat at Holyrood. He announced he would relinquish his place in the House of Lords to focus entirely on the campaign.
"Today I can announce that I am resigning from the Conservative Party. Today I am joining Reform UK and today I announce my intention to stand for Reform in the Holyrood election in May next year," he declared to the rally.
He outlined a two-pronged mission for his campaign: to remove the "rotten SNP government after 18 years" and to present a positive vision for Scotland within the UK. "I shall be campaigning with all of you tirelessly... to restore Scotland to being a prosperous, proud, healthy and happy country," he said.
Criticism of the Conservatives and Reform's Scottish Push
The Greenock-born businessman, who was made a peer by Boris Johnson in 2021 and had donated nearly £150,000 to the Tories, did not hold back in his criticism. He accused the Scottish Conservatives of having "given up on Scotland."
"What I found, quite candidly, is a party which is regional not national, parochial not political, timid not ambitious; a party without a vision of how to govern Scotland with a right-of-centre agenda," Lord Offord stated.
His move follows other notable defections to Reform in Scotland, including that of Scottish Tory MSP Graham Simpson and several councillors. Lord Offord had previously stood for Holyrood in 2021 in the Lothian region, where he finished fifth.
The defection signals Reform UK's determined push to become a major force in Scottish politics, directly challenging the Conservative vote and aiming to capitalise on discontent with the long-standing SNP administration.
