General · 7 December 2025
Conservative peer defects to Reform UK party
Nigel Farage announced Reform UK's first House of Lords member after Conservative peer Lord Malcolm Offord defected during a rally in Falkirk, Scotland. The former Scotland Office minister plans to abandon his peerage to stand for Holyrood in 2026, aiming to remove the SNP government. Farage avoided direct media questions about historical racism allegations while unveiling the defection at the Macdonald Inchyra Hotel.
Reported by The Scotsman · How we write briefs