Lord Malcolm Offord Joins Reform UK After Leaving Conservative Party

In a significant political shift, Lord Malcolm Offord, who previously held a ministerial role in the Scotland Office and was part of the Conservative Party, has officially joined Reform UK. His transition was made public by Nigel Farage during a rally at the Macdonald Inchyra hotel in Falkirk on Saturday.

Having served as the Treasurer of the Scottish Conservatives, Lord Offord’s tenure on the Lords front bench spanned from 2021 to 2024. At the rally, he expressed his intention to step down from the House of Lords and pursue a candidacy with Reform UK for the upcoming Holyrood elections in 2026.

During his address, Lord Offord criticized the Conservative Party, claiming they have abandoned Scotland. He described the party as “parochial, not political” and labeled it as one lacking a clear vision. “I am deeply worried about the state of Scottish politics and what lies ahead for Scotland,” he stated. “This is why I am leaving the Scottish Conservative Party; they have given up on our country, and I cannot accept that.”

He went on to articulate his dual objectives for the next five months: to oust the SNP government, which has been in power for 18 years, and to advocate for a revitalized vision for Scotland within the United Kingdom, aiming to restore its status as a prosperous and content nation.

While it is not feasible to renounce a life peerage, peers do have the option to resign from the House of Lords. Recent legislation prohibits members of the House of Lords from joining the Scottish Parliament. Currently, Reform UK has one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), Graham Simpson, who defected to the party in August.

Farage expressed his happiness in welcoming Lord Offord to Reform, calling his departure from the Conservative Party a “courageous and historic decision.” He noted that Offord would elevate Reform UK in Scotland.

Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, criticized Reform, branding it as a “failed Conservative party engaged in political musical chairs.” She insisted that this defection reaffirms what many already suspect: Reform has transformed from a Conservative guise to simply being Conservatives. “These are the same individuals responsible for a broken immigration system and an economy in turmoil, leaving ordinary Scots to bear the consequences. This is not a change; it’s merely the same unsuccessful politicians pushing the same failed strategies,” she remarked.

Lord Offord, who launched the investment firm Badenoch and Co, was appointed as a life peer in 2021 under Boris Johnson’s leadership. His financial contributions to the Conservative Party neared £150,000 prior to his peerage, which conferred the title of Baron Offord of Garvel, of Greenock in Renfrewshire. He also held the position of Minister of Exports from 2023 until the general election set for June 2024.

Previously, he directed the Vote No Borders campaign during the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, which drew controversy after a cinema advertisement was retracted due to its misleading implications about healthcare access. Lord Offord had also run as a Conservative candidate for the Lothian region in the 2021 Holyrood election, where he finished fifth and did not secure a seat.

Although Malcolm Offord is not yet a widely recognized figure, his alliance with Reform UK is a boost for the party’s Scottish endeavors. His extensive governmental and political experience positions him as a valuable asset as he gears up to vie for a seat in the next Holyrood elections.

Addressing the audience in Falkirk, he lamented the “monopolitics” exhibited by both Labour and the Conservatives, indicating a disillusionment with his former party. The crowd welcomed him warmly, eager to support his new journey despite his recent Conservative affiliation. However, some of his former colleagues appeared less enthusiastic, with one insider referring to him as a “treacherous snake.”