Malcolm Offord ‘unfit’ to be MSP says John Swinney

Malcolm Offord is “unfit” to be an MSP or lead a political party, John Swinney has said.

The Reform Scotland leader has been under fire for making a homophobic remark during an event in 2017, believed to have been made shortly after the death of George Michael.

Speaking to reporters after the final session of FMQs before the election, the first minister describes to remark as “completely and utterly intolerable and utterly unacceptable”.

“He’s unfit to be leader of any political party, unfit to be a Member of the Scottish Parliament with views and attitudes like that,” he added.

He continued: “We’ve got to be really careful as a country about where we’re heading, and Reform have got no part to play in it if they represent views of intolerance, prejudice and hatred of that type.”

Offord has issued an apology for the joke and denied being homophobic.

In a post on X, he said admitted he made a “crude joke” which was “intended to be funny through being edgy and shocking”.

“Instead of being funny, I made members of the audience uncomfortable and instantly regretted it,” he added. “I immediately apologised to the club, and made amends by voluntarily donating to the King’s Cross Steelers, the original gay-inclusive rugby union club, to support their travel and participation in the Bingham Cup in Amsterdam.”

The comment is said to have been made during a speech while Offord was chairman of the London Scottish rugby club. The remark concerned the late singer’s partner Fadi Fawaz.

Graham Simpson, Reform’s sole MSP, did not stop to speak to reporters about his leader’s comments. He said he had “not seen the joke” and he did not “want to see it”.

Asked if Offord was fit to continue as leader, Simpson said: “He is.”

This comment and others made by Reform candidates standing in the upcoming election was loosely raised during FMQs by Lib Dem MSP Jamie Greene.

He said: “There are people who aspire to become MSPs in this place who are spouting Islamophobic bile on social media and cracking jokes at the expense of gay people. When I joined this place a decade ago, there was genuine desire to find common ground on some difficult societal issues: on Gypsy/Travellers, on migrants and refugees, on transgender people. Our friends, our neighbours, our fellow Scots.

“And ten years on, I am utterly saddened to hear politicians who use language which reduces people to adjectives such as ‘dangerous’, ‘unwanted’ and ‘unwelcome’.

“So can I pose a challenge, not just to the first minister, but to the leader of all political parties who hope to return members to this place, that they will commit their parties in the next parliamentary term to using their privilege of platform wisely, to debate with decency, and remember that the language used in here effects people out there.

“Because I hope we can do politics better, presiding officer, and I hope we can all agree that hatred will never, ever have a place in this parliament, now or ever.”

Swinney replied that he was “horrified” by the growth in intolerance across Scotland in recent years, specifically highlighting protests outside hotels where asylum seekers were being housed.

On the point about parliament, the first minister said: “The point that Mr Greene raises today about the aspirations of politicians to come in here – and let me just speak it out loud because I know everyone is talking about it today – the homophobic joke, alleged joke, by Malcolm Offord as the leader of Reform in Scotland is a warning to this country of what is coming our way. Because there is no place for homophobia, racism and intolerance – that’s what Reform represent, and we have all got to stand up against that bile in our society.”

Both Greene and Swinney’s remarks were met with cross-party applause from across the chamber.

Scottish Labour called for Offord to apologise or resign over the comment yesterday.

Equalities spokesperson Paul O’Kane said: “This just exposes Reform as the nasty party that they are. Whether it is homophobia or racism, there is clearly no low to which they will not sink.”

MSPs enter a pre-election recess at the end of Wednesday, with dissolution formally taking place on 8 April.

The election for the seventh session of parliament will be held on 7 May.

According to the polls, Reform is expected to make a significant breakthrough and is in contention to return as the second or third largest party.

The SNP remains on course to win the most seats.