"Reform has found a following that was already here. The collapse in Scottish Conservative support has left a significant gap that Reform has rapidly filled."
"Malcolm Offord told the audience about families in Glasgow pushed to the back of the [housing] queue by asylum seekers, and claimed a central belt GP had reported that HIV-positive migrants were receiving treatments costing 11,000 a year."
"For observers elsewhere in the UK used to regarding Scotland as a progressive outlier, it is a stark moment."
Reform UK is emerging as a significant political force in Scotland, particularly in the north-east, where it is competing with Scottish Labour for the official opposition role against the SNP. The party has capitalized on the decline of Scottish Conservative support, appealing to voters concerned about local issues like fishing and oil. Malcolm Offord, the party's Scottish leader, has made controversial statements regarding asylum seekers and healthcare, which have sparked allegations of racism among candidates. Support for Reform is also growing in post-industrial areas and around Glasgow.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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