David Wallace LockhartScotland political correspondent
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Nigel Farage is making his pitch for votes in Scotland but who will lead the party north of the border?
You would probably assume that Nigel Farage would be the headline act at any Reform UK rally.
But this weekend, when hundreds of party supporters met in a hotel on the outskirts of Falkirk, the main slot – and the longest speech – was given to a new recruit.
Lord Malcolm Offord had served as a Conservative government minister, and until he took to Reform’s stage he was still technically the treasurer of the Scottish Tories.
Only a handful of Reform insiders knew that he was preparing to change allegiance, but he took to the podium to declare that his old party had “given up” on Scotland.
He announced that he was ditching the House of Lords and pledged to campaign to become a Reform MSP at Holyrood.
His old party say that campaigning for Reform is a move that will ultimately only benefit the SNP.
Lord Offord – soon to be plain-old Malcolm Offord – is not exactly a household name, but he comes with experience.
He has served as a UK government minister in two departments and before entering politics he had a long business career.
Farage previously said that Reform would have some sort of Scottish leader or figurehead in the run-up to the Holyrood elections.
Someone will be needed to take on the other party leaders at election set pieces, such as the televised debates.
Some party insiders feel that Lord Offord is the natural fit.
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Lord Offord announced his defection from the Conservatives to Reform
Technically, he still has to become a candidate. He has been through vetting, but so have a hundred other party members.
But it seems highly unlikely that he won’t end up in a position that gives him a good shot at getting into Holyrood as a Reform MSP.
One party figure described him to me as a “radical” who was the right person to take on a leadership role.
But at the same time, it would be easy for political opponents to paint him as the embodiment of the political establishment that Reform UK claim to despise.
He is a Tory donor who took a seat in the Lords before taking jobs in the governments of three Conservative prime ministers.
And he is not universally popular after his party switch. One of his old Conservative colleagues told me that he was a “treacherous snake”.
Plus, there are other prominent figures in Reform’s Scottish operation who may fancy the top job, such as their only current MSP Graham Simpson.
Glasgow councillor Thomas Kerr has also taken on a prominent role in the party.
Immigration, net zero and Scotland’s industrial heritage
Leadership aside, what’s next for this new-ish party in Scotland?
They need to decide what they want to campaign on when the Holyrood election comes around next year.
Reform are widely associated with immigration, a topic Farage consistently returns to.
And that did come up at the Falkirk rally this weekend.
But net zero and de-industrialisation seemed to be a much more frequent target for both speakers and attendees.
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Dozens of Reform supporters attended the rally at a hotel housing aslyum seekers near Falkirk on Saturday
There were accusations that jobs and opportunities are being lost in the move away from oil and gas to renewables.
Though it’s worth pointing out that many in Scotland see renewables as an area of growth that can provide skilled jobs and help to combat climate change.
When Lord Offord appeared on BBC Scotland’s The Sunday Show, he was very keen to focus the conversation on jobs and work, rather than immigration.
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Graham Simpson became Reform’s first MSP when he defected from the Conservatives earlier this year.
But immigration is not a topic of conversation the party is going to avoid north of the border.
Farage will remain the overall party leader, and this was an issue he was keen to focus on in Falkirk this weekend.
He was wearing a badge to celebrate Glasgow’s 850th birthday, but he has claimed the city has suffered a “cultural smashing”.
He has recently been highlighting figures about the number of school children in Glasgow who speak English as an additional language.
These are more complex than some headlines suggest. They range from pupils who are completely fluent, to those who are new to speaking English.
But even if Lord Offord, and other Reform Scotland activists, want to talk about other political issues, immigration is likely to remain a regular theme.
And the latest Reform defector was pressed over the weekend regarding stories about racist comments Farage is alleged to have made when he was a teenager
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Farage has attracted criticism in recent days over alleged ‘racist remarks’ he is said to have made when he was a schoolboy
Lord Offord revealed that he’d spoken to Farage about these claims during his defection talks.
He told The Sunday Show that Farage had acknowledged using “intemperate language” previously, but that he did not “believe him to be a racist at all”.
Farage has previously denied ever directly racially abusing anyone.
Lord Offord also told me that he believes Farage would make a “very fine prime minister”.
Others take an entirely different view.
This week, in refence to his comments about Glasgow school children, the prime minister labelled him “a toxic divisive disgrace”. The first minister called him “a purveyor of racist views”.
Regardless of who leads Reform’s Scottish operation, it feels like Farage will remain the dominant force.
But, with that Holyrood election looming, it is perhaps starting to feel like the Scottish arm of the party is forging a bit of an identity of its own.
Different issues. Different personalities.
But at least one similar aim – to try and disrupt politics.
