Reform UK's Scottish Leader Maintains Labour Alliance Claim
Reform UK's Scottish leader, Malcolm Offord, has reiterated his assertion that Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar expressed a desire to collaborate against the SNP. Offord made this claim during a leaders debate, where Sarwar accused Reform UK of racism and criticised remarks made by one of its candidates.
Offord stated that Sarwar's accusations conflicted with a prior encounter where Sarwar approached him and said,
"we need to work together, Reform and Labour, to remove the SNP".
Sarwar dismissed Offord's claim as "nonsense" during the debate and later described it as "a desperate lie from a desperate man." However, Offord confirmed to BBC Scotland that he stands by his statement.
Debate Over Controversial Reform UK Billboard
During the debate, Offord faced criticism over Reform UK's billboard adverts, which depicted a small boat carrying asylum seekers under the slogan "Scotland is at breaking point." SNP leader John Swinney condemned the poster, saying it "incited tension and division." Offord defended the advert, explaining,
"The idea of that billboard was to say illegal asylum seekers, they come into England, but they come to Scotland, they come to Glasgow."
He added,
"What Reform is doing is honestly reflecting the views of local Scottish people, especially in our working class communities who feel they are being pushed to the back of the queue."
Sarwar responded by highlighting that Reform UK had previously spent thousands on adverts questioning his loyalty to Scotland. He accused the party of racism, citing a candidate who allegedly wanted to deport his children and repeatedly asked Offord,
"Where do you want them to go, Malcolm?"
Offord reiterated that Sarwar's remarks contradicted their earlier interaction at Paisley Town Hall, where Sarwar had suggested cooperation to remove the SNP.
Leaders Debate and Reactions
The BBC leaders debate took place in Paisley on Sunday night. Sarwar firmly rejected any suggestion of deals with Reform UK, stating,
"Let me be unequivocal: no stitch-ups, no deals, no backroom chats, no back-channel contact with Reform. I only want one deal, and that is with the people of Scotland."
The SNP accused Sarwar of being willing to collaborate with Reform UK if it served his political ambitions, describing the situation as a "grubby deal" exposed.
Energy Policy Positions Highlighted
Earlier in the debate, Offord expressed support for US President Donald Trump's call to increase oil and gas extraction from the North Sea, saying,
"I would agree with Donald Trump on this – drill, Mili, drill is what I would say."
He emphasized the need for safe and affordable energy, noting Scotland's minimal contribution to global emissions,
"In terms of energy, we account for less than 1% of global emissions, right now it is more of a priority we have safe and affordable energy."
Swinney disagreed, highlighting Scotland's renewable energy development,
"I think we have got enormous challenges about energy, but Scotland is an energy-rich country which is developing formidable renewable energy resources."
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay criticised the SNP's changing stance and advocated for harnessing North Sea oil and gas, stating,
"It is absolutely critical the United Kingdom harnesses the oil and gas at its disposal."
He supported a balanced energy mix beginning with North Sea drilling and also backed nuclear power, a position opposed by the SNP.
Sarwar also supports nuclear power and endorsed two oil and gas projects opposed by environmentalists that the UK Labour government is considering. He said,
"A commitment was made to respect the licences granted by the last government, we should stick to that commitment, for example for Rosebank and Jackdaw."
These projects were approved by a previous Conservative government at Westminster.
Green and Liberal Democrat Leaders Respond
Scottish Green co-leader Gillian Mackay opposed further drilling, stating,
"It is very clear that any new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea is not compatible with the climate crisis and actually won't bring anyone's bills down. What actually we need to see is a move to renewables."
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole Hamilton criticised US President Trump, calling him a "gangster" and said,
"We need leadership that will stand up to him in the same way the Liberal prime minister in Canada, Mark Carney, did."
