Scottish Labour slams Farage's Reform party as 'Tories in disguise'

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has branded Nigel Farage’s party as “Tories in disguise” ahead of a major Reform UK announcement this week.

Farage is expected to travel to Edinburgh on Thursday to announce the party’s first leader north of the border.

While the party has yet to confirm his identity, Lord Offord of Garvel, the Conservative peer who defected to Reform last month, is tipped for the position.

Ahead of the announcement, the Scottish Labour leader labelled Lord Offord a “joke” and a “charlatan”.

“We are calling out Reform for what they are – they are Tories in disguise,” Sarwar said.

“The same team with a different badge, and the same destructive ideas that have done so much damage to Scotland, and I’m confident that the people of Scotland will reject them.”

He emphasised that Lord Offord is a former long-term member of the Conservative Party, a former treasurer of the Scottish Conservatives, and served in the Conservative UK Governments of both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

Sarwar said: “Now he wants to pretend somehow that he is the great defender of working-class communities across the country. He’s a charlatan, he’s a joke, and that’s why Scots will see right through him.”

The criticism comes as polls suggest Reform UK are gaining ground while Scottish Labour’s support has fallen sharply.

The Ipsos Scotland Political Pulse survey of 1,061 adults, conducted between November 27 and December 3, showed the SNP on 35% of the Scottish Parliament constituency vote.

That’s a 17-point lead over Reform UK, which stands at 18%, up four points since June.

Scottish Labour’s constituency vote share has dropped seven points since June to 16%.

However, Sarwar has insisted that he is confident Scotland will “reject” Reform.

“I think once people see who Reform are, what they offer, and the damage they’re planning to do to the country, I’m sure people not just in Scotland but across the UK will reject them,” the Scottish Labour leader said.

“All Reform are in this election is noise that can help the SNP win. What I’m determined to do is beat the SNP to reject Reform and take our country in a new direction, which we so desperately need.”