Millionaire former Tory donor defects to Reform

Millionaire Tory donor Malcolm Offord has defected to Reform UK, saying helium would beryllium campaigning "tirelessly" to "remove this rotten SNP government".

Nigel Farage announced the erstwhile Conservative beingness peer's defection during a rally successful the Scottish municipality of Falkirk, wherever regular anti-immigration protests person taken spot extracurricular the Cladhan Hotel - which is being utilized to location asylum seekers.

Mr Farage, Reform UK's leader, said helium was "delighted" to invited Greenock-born Lord Offord to Reform, describing his defection arsenic "a brave and historical act".

He added: "He volition instrumentality Reform UK Scotland to a caller level."

During a speech, Lord Offord, who antecedently donated astir £150,000 to the Tories, said helium would beryllium quitting the Conservative Party and giving up his spot successful the House of Lords arsenic helium prepares to run for a spot successful Holyrood successful May.

The 61-year-old said helium wanted to reconstruct Scotland to a "prosperous, happy, steadfast country".

"Scotland needs Reform and Reform is coming to Scotland," helium told the rally.

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"Today I tin denote that I americium resigning from the Conservative Party. Today I americium joining Reform UK and contiguous I denote my volition to basal for Reform successful the Holyrood predetermination successful May adjacent year.

"And that means that from today, for the adjacent 5 months, time and night, I shall beryllium campaigning with each of you tirelessly for 2 objectives.

"The archetypal nonsubjective is to region this rotten SNP authorities aft 18 years, and the 2nd is to contiguous a affirmative imaginativeness for Scotland wrong the UK, to reconstruct Scotland to being a prosperous, proud, steadfast and blessed country."

The latest defection comes arsenic Mr Farage finds himself astatine the centre of allegations of racism dating backmost to his clip successful school.

Sky News reported connected Saturday that a erstwhile schoolfriend of Mr Farage claimed helium sang antisemitic songs to Jewish schoolmates - and had a "big contented with anyone called Patel".

Jean-Pierre Lihou, 61, was initially friends with the Reform UK person erstwhile helium arrived astatine Dulwich College successful the 1970s, astatine the clip erstwhile Mr Farage is accused of saying antisemitic and different racist remarks by much than a twelve pupils.

Mr Farage has said helium "never straight racially abused anybody" astatine Dulwich and said determination is simply a "strong governmental element" to the allegations coming retired 49 years later.

Reform's lawman person Richard Tice has called the ex-classmates "liars".

A Reform UK spokesperson accused Sky News of "scraping the barrel" and being "desperate to halt america winning the adjacent election".