Reform leader says Scotland should 'roll out the red carpet' for Donald Trump

Reform’s leader in Scotland has said the country “should be rolling out the red carpet” for Donald Trump.

Lord Malcolm Offord, a former Tory minister who defected late last year, was chosen to lead the party into the Holyrood election in May.

Following a leadership speech on Monday, Offord described Trump as a “Scottish president”, adding that the country should “roll out the red carpet” to accommodate him.

The Scottish businessman and financier said his new party now has 12,500 members in Scotland, and declared that the Holyrood elections are “now a straight choice between Reform and the SNP”.

He also revealed that Reform UK will put forward 73 new candidates covering every single constituency in Scotland.

Setting out the party’s vision for Scotland, Offord said they could cut taxes by £2bn.

He announced that the party would realign Scotland’s tax system with the rest of the UK, as well as institute a 1p-in-the-pound cut across the board.

In the first five years of a Reform government, Offord said, a total of 3p would be cut from income taxes.

The party believes the realignment would cost £1.2bn, with £850m more for each 1p cut, meaning a total of £3.7bn would have to be found within the first Holyrood term.

Offord pointed to £9bn in “highly dubious environmental protection, economic development and 132 unaccountable quangos” which could be cut, though he did not go into detail about what would be stripped out.

He also took aim at the Scottish Government and political establishment, saying his party would focus on growing the economy, while also minimising spending cuts.

The leader said that his party supports the NHS being free at the point of use, but that the service must be reviewed “with fresh eyes”.

On immigration, Offord said Scots have always been welcoming to immigrants, but he said he believes it is “now a serious issue here in Scotland”.

“Right now, especially in this cost of living scenario, we need to prioritise our own people over strangers.

“Instead, from Inverness to Falkirk, local people are witnessing priority of services, opportunity and safety being given to strangers, and that is not fair.”

On Scottish independence, Offord said he is appealing to all Scots to unite around a common vision of prosperity and justice and “deal with the constitution later”.