Reform UK has appointed former Conservative minister Malcolm Offord as its new leader in Scotland, a move designed to accelerate the party’s push into the May 2026 Scottish Parliament election and mount a direct challenge to the Scottish National Party’s long-standing dominance at Holyrood.
The announcement was made on January 15 at a party event in Fife, where Reform UK leader Nigel Farage presented Offord as the figurehead for an expanded Scottish campaign. The party says it will contest all 73 constituencies and field around 100 vetted candidates in May.
A high-profile switch and a rapid campaign
Offord, who was born in Greenock, joined Reform UK in December 2025 after leaving the Scottish Conservatives. He pledged to stand for the Scottish Parliament this year and became the party’s first peer to defect. On stage alongside Farage in Fife, Offord signed a resignation letter from the House of Lords, saying he would retire as a member effective January 30, 2026 to focus on the campaign.
Appointed a life peer in 2021 by then prime minister Boris Johnson, Offord served as a junior minister at the Scotland Office and later as a minister of exports. He also held roles as Scottish Conservative treasurer and energy spokesman in the Lords. Before politics, he built a business career and founded the investment firm Badenoch and Co.
Addressing supporters, Offord said he would campaign until May 7 to promote what he called a positive vision for Scotland over the next decade. He said Reform UK would position itself as the main alternative to the SNP and criticised what he described as “mid-table mediocrity” at Holyrood.
Farage called the appointment a “historic” step and predicted strong results, arguing that many voters were seeking an alternative after years of SNP government. The party says it now has more than 12,000 members in Scotland.
Political fallout and mounting criticism
Offord’s elevation came amid turbulence for the Conservatives. On the same day, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed shadow secretary Robert Jenrick over claims he was considering a move to Reform UK. Farage confirmed he had spoken with Jenrick and other senior Conservatives but denied any formal deal. Jenrick later appeared at a news conference with Farage, accusing his party of betraying its voters.
Reform UK’s recent momentum has added to the controversy. The party won its first Scottish council by-election in West Lothian last month, and several polls suggest it could overtake Labour to claim second place behind the SNP in May. Its only sitting MSP, Michelle Ballantyne, who defected in August 2025, has introduced a bill to bar MSPs from simultaneously serving as MPs or Lords, a proposal that could affect Offord’s candidacy.
Opposition parties reacted sharply. SNP MSP Keith Brown described Reform UK as recycled Conservatism and demanded clarity on policies covering energy bills, education, child poverty and NHS charges. Green MSP Gillian Mackay labelled Offord one of the wealthiest and most right-wing figures to lead a Scottish party, while Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar questioned his links to working-class communities. Liberal Democrat MSPs accused Offord of abandoning core principles.
Scrutiny has also focused on Offord’s record as a major Conservative donor, with contributions totalling nearly £150,000, and his role as a director of the Vote No Borders campaign during the 2014 independence referendum. Critics argue Reform UK’s campaign will be financed by interests associated with past austerity policies.
Farage dismissed the criticism and said he had full confidence in Offord’s leadership. With campaigning set to intensify ahead of May, Reform UK’s gamble on a high-profile defector will be tested as Scotland heads toward an election that could redraw the political map.
