Offord urges unionists to unite as SNP falls short – Daily Business

Malcolm Offord: we have momentum (pic: DB Media Services)

Reform leader Malcolm Offord has urged other unionist parties to work together to lock out the SNP which could fall well short of a majority in the new parliament, according to a poll.

The MRP poll by More in Common found 39 of the 73 constituency seats are now considered marginal.

It sees the SNP being returned as the largest party, but with only 56 seats, far fewer than the 65 required for a majority.

Reform UK has seen a resurgence of support in Scotland that could see it win its first constituency.

Nigel Farage’s party is on course to edge out Labour in second place, while the Greens could also win their first constituency seat on 7 May.

The poll suggests Reform UK would finish in second place on 22 seats, ahead of Scottish Labour on 17. Reform UK would defeat the SNP in Ayr and Banffshire and Buchan Coast. Both of these seats were amongst the smallest majorities of any MSP at the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

If the findings were repeated on pollling day it would enable the unionist parties to combine and lock the nationalists out of government.

Reform UK leader Malcolm Offord this morning offered Labour the opportunity to work with his party, while the Liberal Democrats have already indicated a willingness to work with other parties. Its leader Alex Cole-Hamilton told Daily Business that Labour had “a vision of change I could get on board with.”

Close call: new poll suggests more seats are marginal (pic: DB Media Services)

Mr Offord said: “This poll reflects exactly what Reform is picking up on the doors – momentum.”

“We are now Scotland’s only challenger to this rotten SNP Government. There is now a key question for Scotland’s other unionist parties – will they back a Reform-led Government or stick with failure under the SNP.

“It is abundantly clear now that [Labour leader] Anas Sarwar will not be First Minister. The only way that would happen is if all unionist parties backed him in a coalition and we at Reform categorically rule out supporting a Labour Party that no longer supports workers and doesn’t share our ambition to make Scotland the most prosperous part of the United Kingdom.

“So, we ask Mr Sarwar, will you back a Reform government or will you let this country suffer another 5 years of the SNP?

“Our message is clear – let’s oust Swinney in a couple of weeks time by using both votes for Reform and take Scotland in a new direction.”

Mr Sarwar has said he would not work with Reform and told Daily Business in an interview that he hopes they get “hammered” in the polls.

“The very idea that the people who have tried to racebait me through this campaign are some of those I want to do a secret deal with is nonsense,” he said.

The poll suggests the LibDems would finish in fourth place on 14 seats, including eight constituency wins.

The Scottish Conservatives would fall to just 12 seats, followed by the Scottish Greens on eight. The poll predicts the Greens would win their first two constituencies in Glasgow Kelvin and Maryhill, and Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith.

Luke Tryl, UK director at More in Common, said: “Having been in power for almost two decades, the SNP are clearly suffering from the curse of incumbency that has afflicted governments around the world.

“Although they look set to maintain power in Holyrood it will almost certainly be with significantly diminished vote share and this model estimates a lower seat count too.

“The SNP benefit however from a further fragmentation of the unionist vote with Reform UK emerging as the strongest unionist party and official opposition as Farage finally breaks through north of the border.”

Fake social media accounts claim

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has been urged to comment on allegations his party is setting up fake twitter/X accounts purporting to be Labour voters.

It follows an account posing as a pub landlord appeared on twitter/X this week under the username “Derek Anderson”.

In what appeared to be an AI generated profile picture, a smiling man donning a red polo shirt with the phrase “Vote Scottish Labour” heaped praise on Anas Sarwar. 

Mr Sarwar’s General Secretary of Scottish Labour was found to be one of the first to follow “Derek Anderson” and reshare posts from the account, which was mysteriously deleted after Scottish Labour was confronted by the media.

Mr Sarwar previously faced claims that Labour had used a robot army on social media to boost his posts. Suspicions were raised after Sarwar’s posts to Instagram saw a massive 1760% increase in average “likes” almost overnight.

Interview: Anas Sarwar

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