Reform UK has dismissed a Scottish candidate following the after it was revealed he had been struck off as a company director, with the party facing mounting criticism over candidates making Islamophobic comments.
Reform confirmed on Friday morning it had suspended Stuart Niven, its candidate for Dundee City West, after it was revealed by the Herald that he had been disqualified for diverting tens of thousands of pounds of Covid grants into his personal account.
Also, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has questioned the credibility of savings proposed in Reform UK’s Scottish manifesto, stating that several of its pledges are “not fiscally credible” and “unserious at best.”
The assessment comes as the party faces scrutiny over the conduct of some of its candidates, shortly after Nigel Farage introduced 73 individuals standing for the upcoming Scottish Parliament elections in May.
Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar said media reports highlighting candidates’ “divisive tweets” had raised concerns about the party’s vetting procedures, despite earlier assurances from Farage that screening had been strengthened.
Subsequent reports indicated that Linda Holt, Reform’s candidate for Fife North East, had made social media comments describing Humza Yousaf as “not British” and a “grandstanding Islamist moron.”
In a separate case, the party’s Stirling candidate, Rachael Wright, circulated a petition alleging that a former private school in Perthshire was being converted into accommodation for migrants.
The school’s owners rejected the claim as “wholly unfounded,” while Reform maintained the denial followed its intervention.
Another candidate, Senga Beresford, standing in Galloway and West Dumfries, was reported to have supported online posts by Tommy Robinson and Britain First, including content advocating mass deportations and restrictions on the wearing of burqas.
Sarwar criticised Malcolm Offord, Reform’s Scottish leader, for defending the candidates, describing his response as inadequate.
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In response, Offord said the comments in question were made prior to the individuals becoming candidates and described them as “intemperate” but reflective of personal views at the time.
In an interview with BBC Radio Scotland, Offord said the party’s vetting process required full disclosure from applicants and that the remarks had been identified during that process.
He noted that a large proportion of the candidates were not professional politicians and had expressed views in the past that may now attract scrutiny.
Offord said that past statements are increasingly subject to public examination, noting that individuals may have made remarks previously that do not necessarily reflect their current positions.
He said: what we got is a situation where, in all our lives in the past we’ve made comments that might sometimes be intemperate. But the issue with this modern world we live in is everything is now written down and remembered. I just think we have to be more realistic about the fact that real people say real things.”
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