Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has refuted claims by Reform UK's Scotland leader, Malcolm Offord, regarding an alleged offer of a political arrangement. Offord stated during a recent Channel 4 debate that Mr. Sarwar had approached him in December, suggesting they "work together to remove the SNP."
Mr. Sarwar dismissed these allegations as a "desperate lie" and "desperation from a party whose campaign has completely flunked," asserting there had been no "stitch-ups, no deals, no backroom chats, no back-channel contact" with Reform UK. Labour sources reiterated that the claims were a "flat-out lie."
The claims emerged amidst wider speculation concerning the upcoming Holyrood elections on May 7. SNP leader and First Minister John Swinney has alleged that if the SNP fails to secure an overall majority, Scottish Labour would seek Reform UK's support, given Reform's potential to win up to 10 seats and thus hold a balance of power. However, senior Labour and Liberal Democrat sources have indicated they would not court Reform votes, suggesting that Mr. Offord would likely abstain in such a scenario to avoid supporting a new Labour administration, potentially allowing an SNP victory.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/15/scottish-labour-leader-anas-sarwar-reform-deal-claim-desperate-lie
