Polling found 44 per cent of voters felt the Reform leader’s boast on STV reflected badly on him – while just 23 per cent said it reflected well on him.
Reform UK Scottish leader Malcolm Offord tastes a Scotch pie at The Forty Twa Cafe in Cowdenbeath, Fife(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
Scots have turned against Malcolm Offord after he bragged on live TV about owning “six houses, five cars and six boats”.
Polling by More in Common found 44 per cent of voters felt the Reform UK leader’s boast during last week’s STV debate reflected badly on him, while just 23 per cent said it reflected well on him.
A recent survey by the polling firm also suggested Offord is struggling among Scots who plan to vote for the right-wing populists. Only three in 10 Reform voters hold a positive view of the former Conservative party donor, while 58 per cent are unaware of him or hold no view.
Among Scots voters as a whole, only 11 per cent hold a positive view of Offord.
Asked by the Record if Offord had become more of a hinderance to Reform than an asset during the Holyrood campaign, polling expert Luke Tryl said: “I certainly think for a party running on a change mantle, he was not the best person to capitalise on that – and actually, someone like Thomas Kerr might have broadened Reform’s appeal.
“What I’ve never heard in a focus group – you know with other leaders, like John Swinney, people say ‘I like him’ – I’ve never heard that about Malcolm Offord. So I don’t think he’s particularly helped.”
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The Reform UK leader in Scotland had raised eyebrows during the final TV debate of the Holyrood campaign last week when he bragged about the extensive property collection he has amassed during a 40-year career working in finance.
The former Tory party donor – who bought a £1.6 million country house on the banks of Loch Lomond without a mortgage – has previously refused to answer questions on his net worth.
During a clash with Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer, Offord told a live STV audience: “I was born in a tenement at 33 Bank Street in Greenock. Back then, Scottish education was the best in the UK and I got it all for free at Greenock Academy and Edinburgh University.
“I went to London 40 years ago with £2,000 in debt. I was full of ambition, I worked hard and I was successful. Today, I own six houses, five cars and six boats.
“In a 40-year business career, I’ve employed thousands of people and paid £45 million in tax. I don’t say this to boast – but to ask you this question. Mr Greer, in your Scotland, do you want more people like me, or fewer people like me?”
The Greens co-leader hit back: “Fewer people like you. I’m glad you finally admitted how many homes you have, Lord Offord.”
Polling found 36 per cent of Scots felt Greer’s response reflected badly on him, compared to 26 per cent who said it reflected well.
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