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Offord pledges to scrap tax system and boost jobs under Reform

PA Media Reform UK's leader in Scotland, Malcolm Offord, standing behind a microphone and lectern. He is wearing black-rimmed spectacles, a blue blazer, a white shirt and a powder blue tie, and is pointing with his left hand.PA Media

Reform UK's leader in Scotland has promised to scrap the six-band income tax system, boost jobs and tackle immigration in his speech to the party's conference.

Malcolm Offord addressed members on the final day of the gathering in Birmingham.

The West Scotland MSP said his party would make Scotland "wealthy, healthy and the most successful part of the UK".

He claimed the SNP had "run Scotland aground" and urged voters to choose Reform "to make ordinary people's lives better".

Offord pledges to scrap tax system and boost jobs under Reform

Offord took aim at Scotland's six-band tax system, which contrasts with the three bands in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

"The six-band tax system needs to go," he said. "We're now the most highly-taxed part of the UK.

"We're dragging a lot of people who would normally be in medium wages, like nurses etc, into higher tax bands, which is nuts."

He said the SNP's policies had led to the economy stagnating and that the country was now "staring at a massive £5bn blackhole".

Offord vowed to "get the balance right" between jobs and welfare and set a target of getting three millions Scots in work.

"We've got 50% of pupils going to universities - why not get them to colleges to get qualifications that get them a job.

"Half the barmen in Edinburgh seem to have sociology degrees. We don't need more sociology degrees - we need more welders."

Offord led Reform to a breakthrough in the Scottish Parliament elections in May, securing 17 MSPs to make them the joint second largest party in Holyrood.

But he told conference that two millions Scots chose not to vote in the elections.

"We've got to go for those two million who are scunnered," he said.

Getty Images Nigel Farage walks in stage the Reform conference, smiling and giving the audience the thumbs up. He wears a blue suit with a white shirt and red tie. Fireworks come up from the floor and a sign behind him on a big blue screen reads "The first 100 days"Getty Images
Nigel Farage walked on stage accompanied by fireworks before his conference speech

His speech followed that of UK party leader Nigel Farage who addressed the conference on Friday in the wake of a Channel 4 News report about two men who apparently suggested a way around electoral law to secure foreign party donations for the party.

The programme featured undercover filming by Verbatim Investigations.

Farage's senior aide Dan Jukes and Reform's head of policy James Orr have both stood down pending the outcome of an internal probe.

In his speech, Farage said his party had "broken no law" and referred to the filming as "entrapment".

Verbatim Investigations told the BBC its reporting was "carried out to the highest journalistic standards".

Describing Britain as "broken", Farage also used his speech to attack Prime Minister Andy Burnham for having "no mandate".

He outlined a series of policies, promising "radical" tax cuts and saying a Reform government would put a stop to small boat crossings in its first 100 days.

Meanwhile, he threatened to get rid of the House of Lords in a referendum if the upper chamber failed to pass Reform legislation, describing the party's attitude as "can do, will do".