Reform Scotland's newly elected leader, millionaire Lord Malcolm Offord, has become embroiled in a racism controversy within 24 hours of taking office. During an event celebrating the party's electoral success, Lord Offord suggested that Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar should be questioned about 'sharia law'.
Extremist Remarks Under Scrutiny
The peer faced questions regarding Reform MSP Senga Beresford, who had previously endorsed calls for the deportation of Muslims. When asked if her views could be considered extremist, Lord Offord responded that her comments were 'only in relation to sharia law' and added, 'We don't want sharia law coming here.'
Pressed on whether there was any evidence of sharia law being introduced in Scotland, Lord Offord replied, 'Well, that's a question you need to ask Anas Sarwar because that was never clarified.'
Background of Abuse
Anas Sarwar, who is Muslim, has previously been a target of racist abuse. In 2018, an online troll was convicted for sending him menacing messages, including unfounded claims that he was trying to 'target Scots' with a 'watered down version of sharia law'.
A Scottish Labour source condemned Lord Offord's remarks, stating, 'The election of Senga Beresford represents a fundamental low ebb for Scottish politics and requires a moment of reflection. It is clear Malcolm Offord is incapable of that type of reflection. This is racism and ignorance, filtered through conspiracy, and for some reason he is defending it.'
Previous Incidents
During a televised debate before polling day, Mr Sarwar had a heated exchange with Lord Offord, asking where the peer thought his children should go if Reform members believed Muslims should be deported.
Reform faced further accusations of racism during last year's Hamilton by-election when the party posted an out-of-context video of Mr Sarwar speaking at an event celebrating Pakistan's independence. The video was captioned: 'Anas Sarwar has said he will prioritise the Pakistani community.'
John Swinney and other politicians demanded the removal of the Facebook ad, while Nigel Farage claimed Mr Sarwar was 'obsessed with race'.
Party's Future Plans
Despite the controversy, Lord Offord insisted that Reform, now with 17 MSPs, would serve as the opposition to the SNP and 'scrutinise everything that comes through from that government'. He added, 'We're going to hold this government to account. Especially if the SNP get into some sort of alliance with the extremist Greens.'
The peer expressed confidence that all 17 MSPs would remain with the party in a year's time, despite previous vetting issues that forced several candidates to withdraw before polling day. With Reform tied with Scottish Labour for second place, Lord Offord stated he was not seeking to expand the party's ranks, saying, 'No, we haven't had any eye on that at all. We're happy with the 17 that we've got, we're going to work really hard in the parliament.'
Reform's sole MSP in the previous Holyrood session, Graham Simpson, defected from the Tories, whose MSP count has fallen to just 12. Lord Offord said the party aims to 'demonstrate to the Scottish people that what's being done is bad for them', positioning itself for the upcoming council elections and the next Holyrood poll in 2031. He concluded, 'This is only the start.'
