🔗 Share this article Reform UK Leader Speaks at Movement's Biggest Gathering in Scotland Amid Scrutiny and High-Profile Switch Nigel Farage addressed the largest Reform UK public meeting so far in Scotland, however declined to speak with local journalists following the event. Instead, newly defected peer the former Conservative donor was left to field questions on allegations of racism and anti-Jewish sentiment linked to the party leader. A High-Profile Defection The leader presented the ex-Tory lord and millionaire donor during a sold-out rally of about 700 attendees in a hotel venue in central Scotland. The businessman, who worked as a junior minister for Scotland under the last government and was until recently treasurer of the Scottish Conservatives, stated his plan to relinquish his seat in the Lords in order to become a candidate for the party in next May’s Holyrood elections. Farage said he was “extremely pleased” to greet Offord to the party. He called the peer’s defection as “a courageous and significant move”. Dodging the Press The Reform leader addressed the rally after a turbulent week which included him delivering a fierce criticism of the broadcaster for questioning him regarding a report into claimed discriminatory and antisemitic behaviour as a youth. But, the leader avoided the expected press huddle after Saturday’s event. Questioned why Farage did not make himself available to address growing claims about his past behaviour, Offord said: “That is a question for him to answer.” Challenged about if he thought an apology was necessary for his alleged remarks towards Jewish pupils, he stated: “I think that’s something he’ll need to consider with his own advisers.” Defending the Leader Offord insisted that Farage was “morally fit” to be the country's leader and denied he was employing coded political messaging. During his speech, Farage had doubled down on previous comments about pupils in Glasgow who speak English as a second language by asking the rally: “Who authorised the complete transformation of Glasgow's demographics?” Although Scotland's First Minister criticised Farage’s original remarks as “discriminatory”, and the Labour leader called them “toxic and divisive”, Offord maintained that his new leader was “drawing attention to a real concern” that people are talking about on the doorstep”. Growing Confidence The rally, filled with an energetic and enthused crowd of largely male, white and middle-aged supporters who each paid £6 to attend, highlights Reform's increasing self-assurance ahead of the Scottish vote. While the SNP continues to lead in the polls, Reform UK has made substantial progress in the past year, securing 26% of the vote in its first Holyrood byelection test. After the collapse in support for Scottish Labour, Reform has regularly pushed it into third place lately, polling up to 22%. Declaring that party membership north of the border had quadrupled in the past year to a running total of 12,000, the party chair, David Bull stated his belief it could gain up to 20 MSPs in May, which would place Reform in “a powerful situation” in the Scottish Parliament. Campaign Rhetoric Thomas Kerr, one of Reform’s 19 Scottish councillors, prompted a roar of approval as he described Farage as “the future PM of the UK”. He instructed the crowd to “prepare for a fight” as we “challenge the ruling class”, cautioning that “the coming campaign will be difficult”. Despite not yet publishing any Scotland-specific policies, representatives vowed the party would “confront climate activists and those profiting from green policies”. The leader personally expressed his pleasure at Reform's rise as a significant player in Scottish politics over the past 12 months, confessing to supporters that he was once told he “wouldn’t get 20 people in a room”. Protests Nearby As the event was taking place, not far away in Falkirk town centre, anti-immigration and anti-racist protesters assembled for what have become regular weekly confrontations near a hotel used to accommodate asylum seekers. The organisers of the demonstrations said it was galvanised by a serious local crime. Speaking previously, First Minister John Swinney cautioned that “what the far right do is to assign responsibility … to new arrivals and I think that is the root of the poison”. He also made a clear distinction extremist opinions and people with “legitimate points” about pressure on local services or community safety.