Malcolm Offord, the Reform UK leader in Scotland, sparked controversy during a Holyrood election debate by revealing he owns six houses, six boats, and five cars. The comment drew sharp criticism from rival politicians, with Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer accusing him of being out of touch amid a housing crisis.
Offord, a former banker and Conservative minister who now holds a life peerage, defended his wealth, saying he arrived in London 40 years ago with £2,000 in debt and worked hard to succeed. "In a 40-year business career I've employed hundreds of thousands of people and paid £45m in tax," he stated. He asked Greer whether Scotland should encourage more or fewer people like him, to which Greer retorted, "Fewer people like you."
Greer highlighted the gap between Offord's multiple properties and the thousands of homeless children in Scotland. "You don't need six homes, you don't even need two homes," he said, arguing that the super-rich should give up excess housing to address the emergency.
Labour leader Anas Sarwar branded Offord "entitled" and used the debate to attack the SNP's record, particularly on the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital scandal. Sarwar demanded transparency over infections linked to deaths at the hospital, including 11-year-old Milly Main.
First Minister John Swinney defended the SNP's record, citing progress in childcare, education, and healthcare. He also warned against "grubby deals" between parties, as no single party is expected to win a majority.
Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton hinted his party might back Labour to oust the SNP, but also said they would negotiate budgets with the SNP if needed. Conservative leader Russell Findlay vowed to cut taxes and welfare spending to lift Scots out of poverty.
The debate in Edinburgh came just over a week before the 7 May election, with voters set to decide the next Scottish government.