In a significant political shift, a former Conservative minister and life peer has crossed the floor to join Nigel Farage's Reform UK, declaring his intention to stand in next year's Scottish Parliament elections.
A High-Profile Defection in Falkirk
Lord Malcolm Offord, a Scottish financier and former Scotland Office minister, was unveiled as Reform's latest recruit at a party rally in Falkirk on Saturday, 6 December 2025. The event was addressed by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who hailed the defection as "a brave and historic act".
Lord Offord, who was the Scottish Conservative Party's treasurer at the time of his departure, used the platform to announce his resignation from the Tories and his new allegiance. He confirmed he would stand as a Reform UK candidate in the Holyrood election in May 2026 and would relinquish his seat in the House of Lords to campaign.
Offord's Critique and Vision for Scotland
In a direct attack on his former colleagues, the Greenock-born businessman accused the Scottish Conservatives of having "given up on Scotland". He characterised the party as "regional not national, parochial not political, timid not ambitious", lacking a vision for governing Scotland with a right-of-centre agenda.
Outlining his objectives, Lord Offord stated: "The first objective is to remove this rotten SNP Government after 18 years, and the second is to present a positive vision for Scotland inside the UK, to restore Scotland to being a prosperous, proud, healthy and happy country."
The peer, who was elevated to the Lords as Baron Offord of Garvel by Boris Johnson in 2021, had previously donated nearly £150,000 to the Conservative Party. He served as a minister of exports from 2023 until the July 2024 general election.
Reactions and Political Fallout
The defection marks another coup for Reform in Scotland, following the earlier switch of Scottish Tory MSP Graham Simpson and several councillors. However, it has drawn sharp criticism from rival parties.
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives warned that "any vote for Reform next year will only tighten the SNP's grip on power at Holyrood", arguing that Reform's actions could keep John Swinney in Bute House.
SNP MSP Kevin Stewart dismissed the move, stating: "An unelected Tory peer defecting to Nigel Farage's Reform UK just highlights how the party is nothing more than the Tories in turquoise tartan." He criticised Lord Offord's unelected status and his ability to claim a daily allowance from the Lords.
Scottish Labour's deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, added: "This defection proves what we already know: Reform aren't even Tories in disguise anymore, they are just Tories – the same Tories that broke the immigration system, collapsed the economy and left working Scots to pay the price."
The rally also saw Nigel Farage repeat his controversial claim about language in Glasgow schools, which Lord Offord later defended as highlighting an issue that "needs to be talked about", denying it was a "dog whistle".
Lord Offord had previously stood for Holyrood in 2021 in the Lothian region, where he finished fifth. His campaign over the next five months will now focus on unseating the SNP and promoting Reform's vision for Scotland within the United Kingdom.
