Reform ‘recycling machine for Tory party’ – Swinney ahead of leader announcement

Reform UK has been labelled a “recycling machine for the Tory party” by Scotland’s First Minister.

John Swinney made the comments ahead of Nigel Farage’s visit to Edinburgh on Thursday where he will announce the party’s Scottish leader.

Lord Offord is tipped to lead the party north of the border, having defected from the Conservatives last month.

The peer was treasurer of the Scottish Tories before his departure and previously served as minister in the last Tory government.

He is now expected to take Reform UK into the Holyrood election in May, with the party polling second behind the SNP.

Asked about the leadership announcement, Mr Swinney told the Press Association: “I think it’s highly likely whoever leads Reform in Scotland is likely to be a former Tory because it seems to be a recycling machine for the Tory party.

“What Reform represents is the politics of division and hate and I don’t think those politics are attractive to mainstream opinion within Scotland.

“So we’ll take on Reform. I’m going to have nothing to do with the politics of Reform.

“I will confront the baseless arguments that they put forward, and whoever the leader is, I will challenge them with the fact that their politics have no place in Scotland.”

Former Tory chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, who was only in the post for two months, was announced as the latest defection to Reform on Monday, one of around 20 former Tory MPs.

Graham Simpson, a former Tory MSP, defected to Reform last year and is currently the party’s only MSP.

Mr Offord has said he would resign his membership of the House of Lords and run to be an MSP in May.

Following legislation passed last year, Lords are disqualified from becoming members of the Scottish Parliament.

Reform UK has been approached for comment.