Millionaire Tory donor Malcolm Offord has defected to Reform UK, saying he could be campaigning “tirelessly” to “take away this rotten SNP authorities”.
Nigel Farage introduced the previous Conservative life peer’s defection throughout a rally within the Scottish city of Falkirk, the place common anti-immigration protests have taken place exterior the Cladhan Resort – which is getting used to deal with asylum seekers.
Mr Farage, Reform UK’s chief, mentioned he was “delighted” to welcome Greenock-born Lord Offord to Reform, describing his defection as “a courageous and historic act”.
He added: “He’ll take Reform UK Scotland to a brand new stage.”
Throughout a speech, Lord Offord, who beforehand donated practically £150,000 to the Tories, mentioned he could be quitting the Conservative Get together and giving up his place within the Home of Lords as he prepares to marketing campaign for a seat in Holyrood in Could.
The 61-year-old mentioned he needed to revive Scotland to a “affluent, glad, wholesome nation”.
“Scotland wants Reform and Reform is coming to Scotland,” he instructed the rally.
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“Right now I can announce that I’m resigning from the Conservative Get together. Right now I’m becoming a member of Reform UK and right this moment I announce my intention to face for Reform within the Holyrood election in Could subsequent 12 months.
“And that implies that from right this moment, for the following 5 months, day and night time, I shall be campaigning with all of you tirelessly for 2 aims.
“The primary goal is to take away this rotten SNP authorities after 18 years, and the second is to current a constructive imaginative and prescient for Scotland contained in the UK, to revive Scotland to being a affluent, proud, wholesome and glad nation.”
The most recent defection comes as Mr Farage finds himself on the centre of allegations of racism courting again to his time in class.
Claims made towards Nigel Farage
Sky News reported on Saturday {that a} former schoolfriend of Mr Farage claimed he sang antisemitic songs to Jewish schoolmates – and had a “huge difficulty with anybody referred to as Patel”.
Jean-Pierre Lihou, 61, was initially buddies with the Reform UK chief when he arrived at Dulwich Faculty within the Seventies, on the time when Mr Farage is accused of claiming antisemitic and different racist remarks by greater than a dozen pupils.
Mr Farage has mentioned he “by no means immediately racially abused anyone” at Dulwich and mentioned there’s a “robust political ingredient” to the allegations popping out 49 years later.
Reform’s deputy chief Richard Tice has referred to as the ex-classmates “liars”.
A Reform UK spokesman accused Sky Information of “scraping the barrel” and being “determined to cease us successful the following election”.
