Millionaire Conservative Donor turned Boris Johnson's peer switches sides Reform The UK is a big boost for Nigel Farage.
Lord Malcolm Offord announced that he was defecting from the Conservatives to Reform and intended to stand for election in Scottish Parliament next year.
The former Conservative minister was introduced by Farage during a party rally in Falkirk on Saturday. Announcing his defection, he said he believed Scottish Conservatives had “given up” on Scotland.
Mr Farage hailed Lord Offord as “a man who I think will have a transformative influence on our party here in Scotland”, calling his defection a “brave and historic move”.
Malcolm Offord moved from Conservative to Reform (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Archives)
The former Treasurer of the Scottish Conservative Party previously served in the Conservative government as export minister before Labor won the 2024 general election.
He confirmed he would resign from the House of Lords and reclaim his peerage to campaign for a Holyrood seat as “good old Malcolm Offord”.
Members of the House of Lords are disqualified from being members of the House of Lords. Scottish Parliament under legislation passed earlier this year. It is not possible to renounce a life peerage, but peers can renounce membership in the House of Lords.
Lord Offord branded the Scottish Conservative Party “unelectable” and said: “I am concerned about Scottish politics, very concerned about what is happening in Scotland.
“And that is why I am leaving the Scottish Conservative Party, because the Scottish Conservative Party, I believe, has given up on Scotland and, ladies and gentlemen, I cannot do that.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage announces defection during a rally in Scotland (Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Wire)
Discussing his experience with the Scottish Tories, the former minister said: “I have found quite frankly that this is a regional rather than national party, parochial rather than political, timid rather than ambitious; a party with no vision of how to govern Scotland with a centre-right agenda.”
He said he would run a “positive campaign” with “hope, ambition and reform”.
During his speech to Reform members at the Macdonald Inchyra Hotel, Mr Farage repeated claims that one in three schoolchildren in Glasgow do not speak English as their first language. Asked about reporters' comments, Lord Offord said: “I think it highlights an issue that needs to be talked about.”
Asked if the comments constituted a “dog whistle”, he continued: “I don't believe it's a dog whistle, I think it's a fact.”
Greenock-born Lord Offord is the latest in a string of Tory defections, including Jonathan Gallis and Leah Nickey last week.
He has donated around £150,000 to the Conservatives, was made a life peer and given his first ministerial job by former prime minister Mr Johnson in September 2021.
Lord Offord was created a peer by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire)
Lord Offord previously stood unsuccessfully as the Conservative candidate for Lothian MP in May 2021 before being awarded a peerage by Mr Johnson, leading to accusations of “rampant cronyism” by the Scottish National Party.
But Mr Johnson insisted he was “a guy who can offer a huge amount” and predicted he would “do a great job”.
Lord Offord previously led the union's No Borders campaign during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum and is the founder and chairman of Edinburgh-based boutique investment firm Badenoch and Co.
A Scottish Tory spokesman said: “Any vote on reform next year will only strengthen the SNP's grip on power at Holyrood.
“Nigel Farage has made it clear he is comfortable with John Swinney remaining as First Minister, his party fielded pro-independence candidates at the last election and he is still courting others who could split the UK.
“Russell Findlay's Scottish Conservatives recognize that many people feel completely disconnected from politics.
“That’s why we will continue to focus tirelessly on promoting sound Conservative policies to grow our economy and champion the priorities of mainstream Scotland.”
Jackie Bailey, deputy leader of Scottish Labor, said: “This defection proves what we already know: reformists are no longer even Tories in disguise, they are just Tories – the same Tories who destroyed the immigration system, destroyed the economy and left working-class Scots paying the price.
“This is not change – it's the same failed politicians and failed ideas trying to divide our country.
“A vote for reform is a vote that helps keep the SNP in power and blocks the change Scotland desperately needs.
“Scotland needs a party focused on rebuilding our NHS and delivering real change for working people, not a party of Tory losers playing on political musical chairs.”
