AN EDINBURGH Reform candidate has dropped out of their election campaign, making him the fifth of their candidates to drop out since the Reform Conference on 19 March.
James Glen, who was set to run in Edinburgh North Western, has walked away from the race following the withdrawal of Linda Holt, the Reform candidate for Fife North East, who had called Humza Yousaf an “Islamist moron”.
Holt said she was withdrawing from the race due to a “lack of support” from the party following her Islamophobic comments.
Malcolm Offord, Reform’s Scotland leader, said that the news was “the opposite of shambolic” during an interview with BBC Radio Scotland.
Glen appeared to confirm online that his decision came as a direct result of Holt’s decision to stand down.
Writing above Holt’s announcement on X, Glen said: “I have withdrawn my candidacy for Reform UK.
“I fully support Linda in her decision and the reasons behind it.
“I wish the candidates the very best.”
Holt had to step down after it emerged that she had made comments on social media – since deleted – describing Humza Yousaf as an “Islamist moron” and claiming the Scottish Government was “becoming a Hamas PR support act” while Yousaf was First Minister.
Before that, Roland Jackson, who Reform claimed was the candidate in Mid Fife and Glenrothes, said he had never intended to stand and his name was published “in error”.
Jordan Brown, who was unveiled as the party’s candidate for Aberdeen Central, told The Gaudie “I’m not a candidate”.
Less than 24 hours after Reform’s Scotland Conference, the candidate for Dundee City West, Stuart Niven was suspended after it emerged that he had been disqualified from acting as a company director.
The Herald reported that Niven had been suspended for seven years after diverting thousands from a taxpayer-backed Covid loan to his personal account.
Reform had intended to stand candidates in all 73 Scottish constituencies.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander described Reform’s Scotland woes as “humiliating”.
He said: “The chaos engulfing Reform’s campaign is now way beyond humorous – it’s humiliating.
“Candidates are dropping like flies and Malcolm Offord has come out of hiding to show himself up on national radio.
“Nigel Farage’s hand-picked leader Lord Offord is proving hopeless – he can’t even run a campaign, let alone a country.
“Reform are not serious contenders for power – they have no standards, no ideas and no chance of beating the SNP.
“While Reform are embroiled in chaos, Scottish Labour is taking the fight to the SNP by focusing on fixing the basics, making life more affordable and delivering a better future for Scotland.”
To add to the intrigue, Glen also hinted that Reform may have taken advantage of his web development work for the party without paying him.
Responding to a question on X about communication between himself and the party, Glen said: “I messaged the Scottish organiser but they just ignored my messages.
“They were happy to take my months of web development work for free though.”
Earlier this week, Malcolm Offord was forced to defend himself after telling a homophobic joke about the late George Michael during a speech eight years ago at the King’s Cross Steelers rugby union club.
Offord previously admitted to the BBC that the joke was “probably homophobic”, but later walked this back, telling STV News on Friday that the joke was “not homophobic”.
Malcolm Offord also responded to the withdrawal of a fifth Reform candidate from the race since the candidates were announced last week.
Following a question about his party being “shambolic”, he told BBC Radio Scotland: “I wouldn’t say it was shambolic, I’d say in fact the opposite.
“I would say we’ve done an extraordinary thing in a short space of time to interview over 300 candidates to get 73 wanting to stand.
“It’s not easy to stand as an MSP and a lot of people are finding that out, and the media scrutiny is intense and it’s not for everybody, and so some people have pulled out.”
He added that Reform “have backups” and “will be providing a full slate”.
The Scottish Parliament Election will be held on 7 May this year.
Recent polling has put Reform in second place, behind the SNP.
