Overview
- Nigel Farage confirmed he will hold an Edinburgh press conference next Thursday to unveil Reform UK’s first dedicated leader in Scotland.
- Lord Malcolm Offord is widely expected to get the role, and he told the BBC he wants to be first minister and has written to resign his peerage, pending acceptance.
- Reform UK has expanded its Scottish operation with new staff hires and a mailshot to 1.2 million homes, alongside a £5 million UK-wide blitz with at least £1 million reportedly reserved for Scotland.
- Polling shows the SNP still ahead, with some surveys placing Reform in second and party figures pitching the contest as a two-horse race with the nationalists.
- The regulated campaign period has begun with a £1.5 million cap, as Scottish Labour reports £1.1 million raised for a large digital and ground effort and the SNP faces difficulty attracting major donations.