Farage dodges press as he unveils Reform’s first peer after Conservative defection

Offord served as a Scotland Office minister under the last government and until recently was treasurer of the Scottish Conservatives. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

Nigel Farage has addressed Reform UK’s largest rally in Scotland to date but refused to engage with local journalists – leaving the newly defected peer Malcolm Offord to field questions on allegations of racism and antisemitism.

Farage introduced the former Conservative peer and millionaire donor Offord at a sold-out rally of about 700 at a hotel conference centre near Falkirk.