To Scotland, where Nigel Farage is visiting for the first time in six years. It’s a day of firsts for Reform UK, it seems, as the party announced this morning it had recruited ex-Tory councillor Duncan Massey – the first local councillor in Granite City to join Farage’s crowd. Massey is the 14th councillor to join Reform UK in Scotland, blasting his former party for failing to offer Scots a vision for the future.
‘The whole country is struggling at the moment,’ Massey told the assembled press pack outside Aberdeen’s seafood restaurants The Silver Darling. The oil and gas economist has been publicly critical of the Scottish and UK government’s approach to the industry, resharing on Twitter posts that claim ‘net zero means deindustrialisation’ and that the net zero movement is a ‘death cult’. Speaking to reporters today, he added:
The SNP are doubling down on their anti-oil and gas record. I think it was only the other day when the SNP said that they were fully focused on net zero. Going back to the Conservatives – obviously I’ve got respect for my conservative colleagues, but I think they have failed to set out a vision for Scotland and for the UK. And I think Reform has done that and is doing that. And we’re very much, in Scotland, the start up party that is pushing ahead with sensible policies for energy and for oil and gas.
And when quizzed on whether he’d consider standing for Reform UK at next year’s 2026 Holyrood elections, Massey responded that he would not rule it out. How very interesting…
Another first is expected later today, too – with Farage telling journalists that a Scottish Labour councillor has now jumped ship to Reform UK. An official announcement is expected this afternoon when Farage appears in Hamilton ahead of this week’s by-election. If this is indeed the case it spells more bad news for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, after Norstat polling for The Sunday Times at the weekend suggested Reform UK are only a point behind the Labour lot when it comes to voting intention for next year’s Scottish election. Stay tuned…
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