Nigel Farage has unveiled Reform UK's first peer after a Conservative defection, but avoided questions from journalists at a rally in Scotland. The new recruit, Malcolm Offord, a former Conservative peer and millionaire donor, announced he would give up his peerage to stand for Reform in next May's Holyrood elections.
Farage introduced Offord at a sold-out rally of about 700 near Falkirk, calling his defection 'a brave and historic act'. However, the Reform leader dodged a press huddle after the event, leaving Offord to field questions on allegations of racism and antisemitism against Farage.
Offord insisted Farage was 'morally fit' to be prime minister and denied he employed dog-whistle politics. During his speech, Farage doubled down on remarks about Glasgow schoolchildren speaking English as a second language, asking the rally: 'Who voted for the wholesale change of the population of Glasgow?'
The event highlights Reform UK's growing confidence ahead of next May's Scottish parliament elections. The party has secured up to 22% in recent polls, pushing Scottish Labour into third place. Party chair David Bull said membership in Scotland had quadrupled to 12,000, and the party could gain up to 20 MSPs.
Meanwhile, anti-immigration and anti-racist protesters gathered outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Falkirk, where tensions have risen after a resident appeared in court.
