The leader of the Scottish Conservatives has revealed that a peer who defected to Reform UK expressed support for his strategy just five weeks ago during extraordinary clashes on a TV panel show.
Russell Findlay confronted former Tory minister Lord Malcolm Offord over his shock defection to Nigel Farage’s party during an explosive episode of the BBC’s Question Time programme.
He revealed that Lord Offord had sent him a personal message urging him to ‘hold the line’ on the strategy responding to the threat from Reform UK. But Lord Offord doubled down on his public criticism of the Scottish Tories.
The bitter televised clash was the first time they had spoken to each other since the former Scottish Tory treasurer was unveiled as a Reform candidate by Nigel Farage at his rally in Scotland last week.
Explaining his reasons for switching to Reform, Lord Offord, who is a frontrunner to become the party’s Scottish leader ahead of Holyrood elections next year, said: ‘I don’t believe the Conservatives have got any ambition for Scotland, I don’t believe Russell personally feels he wants to be the First Minister, I don’t believe the Scottish Conservatives think they can produce a narrative for Scotland. Scotland needs a centre-right narrative.’
After Fiona Bruce asked if it had anything to do with the fact the Conservatives are doing so badly in the polls, he said: ‘This is completely a personal decision of mine, that over the last year I find myself increasingly at odds with the Conservative position.
Reform defector Malcolm Offord with Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay on BBC’s Question Time on Thursady
Leader of Reform UK unveils former Conservative Business and Scotland Office minister Lord Offord as his most recent recruit to the party
‘I’ve made my frustrations very clear along the way and ultimately you have to follow your convictions.’
But Mr Findlay responded: ‘You sent me a message five weeks ago, I’ve got it here, “let’s hold the line”. What happened?’
Lord Offord said: ‘When you’re applying for a new job, or you are leaving one team to join another team, you don’t discuss it with the previous team.’
Later on in the Question Time programme, Mr Findlay admitted it is ‘always hugely disappointing’ when someone defects.
He said: ‘It reminds me a wee bit of the World Cup next summer. When I’m cheering on Scotland against Brazil, if we go a goal down… I will keep supporting Scotland, unlike Malcolm who I think would run off to a sports shop and buy a Brazil top.’
Lord Offord hit back by saying he was at the Scotland-Brazil match in 1990 and 1998 and is planning to go to Miami ‘and never sold the jersey once’.
Mr Findlay doubled down on his commitment to the Tories, saying: ‘I will fight for what we stand for… I believe in conservatism in Scotland.’
