Nigel Farage has appointed former Conservative minister Malcolm Offord as the new leader of Reform UK in Scotland, setting the stage for what he describes as a direct contest with the Scottish National Party in May's Holyrood elections.
A Defection and a Direct Appointment
The announcement was made by Mr Farage at a press conference in Fife on Thursday 15 January 2026. Malcolm Offord, who served as a Scotland Office and business minister in the previous UK government, has quit the House of Lords to stand for Reform. Rather than being elected, he was directly appointed to the leadership role by Mr Farage, a move Offord called a "great honour".
To formalise his party switch, Offord signed paperwork at the event to end his time as a peer. Farage remarked that this meant "Lord Offord of Garvel become Malcolm from Greenock", praising it as a "brave and principled move" to give up the lifelong privileges of the Lords.
Farage's 'Two-Horse Race' Claim
Central to the launch was Farage's bold claim about the political landscape in Scotland. He declared that the election on 7 May will be a "two-horse race" solely between Reform UK and the SNP.
"I think we could even surprise ourselves with just how many votes we manage to garner in this election," Farage stated. He argued that a "huge chunk" of Scottish voters are seeking an alternative after years of "decline" under the SNP government. He pointed to opinion polls showing a "considerable shift" towards Reform as evidence.
Farage dismissed the traditional opposition, stating: "I believe we will be seen as the main opposition because neither the Conservative Party nor Labour Party have been able to provide genuine, real coherence to much of the damage the SNP have done for Scotland." He attributed this to internal divisions within those parties, contrasting it with Reform's "united" vision.
Offord's Campaign Pledge
In his new role, Malcolm Offord pledged to campaign vigorously ahead of the May vote. He said he would communicate a "positive vision" to make Scotland "the most successful part of the UK in the next 10 years".
Reform UK plans to field candidates in all 73 Holyrood constituencies. Offord framed the election as a chance for "ordinary, decent, hardworking Scots" to reject "mid-table mediocrity" and finally remove a "rotten SNP Government" that he accused of failing to deliver prosperity.
The appointment of Offord, who defected from the Tories just over a month ago, signals Reform UK's intent to disrupt the established political order in Scotland and position itself as the primary challenger to the SNP's long-standing dominance.
