Nigel Farage’s party has been having a rather good time of it lately, after winning its first five seats in the July election and continuing to gather support across the country. But north of the border, Reform has found itself in a spot of bother after its party organiser in Scotland was found to have links to terrorists. Good heavens…
A probe by the Daily Record has revealed that Craig Campbell’s late father was an Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) commander who was jailed after the bombing of Catholic pubs in Glasgow. Campbell’s cousin Jason was also handed a lengthy jail sentence after he was found guilty of murdering 16-year-old Celtic supporter and aspiring sportswriter Mark Scott. Campbell cut the boy’s throat in an attack that was later described by then-Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland as ‘the real face of sectarianism and hatred’.
After the family links came to light, Reform UK was swift to sack the Scots organiser, announcing that: ‘Craig Campbell is no longer a Reform UK Scotland organiser or member. Reform UK Scotland will not tolerate discrimination of anyone in any form.’
The revelation is a slight blow for Reform’s Scotland group, which has been progressing in the polls north of the border. The party claimed its recent November party conference was sold out with two former Tory councillors joining its ranks – while Professor John Curtice admitted that Farage’s lot could even be on track to take two seats in Glasgow in the 2026 Holyrood election.
Meanwhile the UK party is preparing to receive a significant funding boost after recruiting former Tory donor Nick Candy – who has insisted he will give a ‘seven figure sum’ to the right-wing group – and meeting Elon Musk on Monday to launch ‘ongoing negotiations’ about financial support. How very interesting.
As local and Scottish elections loom, Farage’s lot will want to avoid the candidate problems they faced earlier this year. Today’s revelation is perhaps a further reminder that the start-up will need to finesse its vetting operation…
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