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The leader of Reform UK in Scotland is facing criticism for not removing candidates accused of making inflammatory remarks. The decision has led to accusations of being ‘spineless’.
Lord Malcolm Offord defended his stance by describing the candidates as ‘real people’ who have expressed ‘real things’. He argued that past indiscretions, provided they weren’t illegal, shouldn’t disqualify someone from candidacy, and that regrettable comments don’t necessarily define a person’s character.
Despite his defense, the party suspended Stuart Niven, just a day after announcing him as the candidate for Dundee West. Reports surfaced that he had been barred from serving as a company director for seven years due to misappropriating funds from a government Covid loan.
The party found itself embroiled in multiple controversies shortly after Nigel Farage’s visit to Scotland to launch the Holyrood manifesto. Further scrutinies revealed that:
Scotland’s Reform leader Lord Offord dismissed controversies surrounding some candidates
■ Senga Beresford, the candidate for Galloway and West Dumfries, had endorsed a statement from Britain First’s deputy leader advocating for the deportation of all Muslims and had shown support for far-right figure Tommy Robinson.
■ Galloway and West Dumfries candidate Senga Beresford supported a post by the deputy-leader of Britain First saying all Muslims should be deported, and also backed far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
■ Aberdeenshire West candidate Jo Hart posted a vile online rant branding the Royals ‘benefit scroungers’ in a 2022 Facebook post about the late Queen and other Royals which included messages such as ‘f*** the Royals’ and ‘make Lizzy the last’.
■ Linda Holt, who is standing in Fife North East, called Humza Yousaf an ‘Islamist moron’ and claimed he is ‘not British’.
■ Stirling candidate Rachael Wright shared false rumours that Kilgraston School in Perthshire would be ‘turned into migrant accommodation’.
When asked about the comments on BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast yesterday, Lord Offord said his candidates are ‘real people with real lives who’ve said real things in a past life’.
He claimed everyone has made comments ‘that might sometimes be intemperate’ and said there should be more realism about the fact ‘real people say real things’.
He said he was aware of the range of comments because the party’s vetting picks up past social media comments.
Stuart Niven was unveiled as Reform’s Dundee West candidate following reports he had been banned from acting as a company director
Lord Offord went on: ‘We have interesting people, real people. Professional politicians have never put a foot wrong because they never say anything interesting and they never say anything that matters.
‘We’ve got interesting people who have got real lives and everybody in their lives in the past might have said something intemperate that they might regret in the cold light of day but it doesn’t make them a bad person.’
On calls for Ms Beresford to quit, Lord Offord said: ‘I don’t agree with that. Everybody has got a right to put themselves forward and so long as they have not done anything in a criminal way they are allowed to express an opinion. Remember we still freedom of speech in this country.
‘We are not stopping people from standing for Reform UK just because they might have said something fruity in the past.’
He reiterated that if vetting has missed any criminality ‘we will front up on that’, but said: ‘We are not going to be just dissing candidates for tittle-tattle or past comments.’
Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar claimed Reform’s candidates are ‘totally unfit for public office’.
He said: ‘From the dodgy dealings of a Covid scammer to the divisive tweets of obsessive racists, these scandals show Reform are just taking whoever they can get.
‘Reform is treating Scots with contempt by asking them to vote for this hopeless gaggle of Tory rejects and oddballs, and I have no doubt Scotland will send them packing.
‘The spineless Lord Offord has only suspended one candidate and effectively given the green light to the fringe views of the rest of them.’
During yesterday’s interview, Lord Offord also defended the MP Sarah Pochin after she said at the party’s Scottish conference that she had wanted to wear a ‘Reform tartan burka’ for the event but was not allowed.
Lord Offord said: ‘At Reform UK, we have quite a nice atmosphere in the room and there is a little bit of humour and I think we all have to just get real.’
He said it was ‘perfectly harmless’ and did not make him feel uncomfortable.
On First Minister John Swinney’s claim that it demonstrated racism, he said: ‘I just don’t think the public are interested in this definition of racism.
‘It is not racist. We have to understand we live in a diverse society and we all have to just get along and rub along together.’
Reform UK Scotland confirmed Mr Niven has been suspended pending further investigation into allegations regarding his financial conduct. A spokesman said: ‘We take allegations like this very seriously, and a full investigation is under way.’
