Lord Malcolm Offord, Reform UK's leader in Scotland, made a cruel sexual joke about George Michael's grieving partner Fadi Fawaz at a rugby club dinner in 2018, according to multiple reports. Offord admitted the joke was 'probably' homophobic. The incident occurred during a Burns Night speech at the London Scottish rugby club. According to Daily Mirror - Main, Ian Lewer described the speech as a bizarre attempt to link George Michael's songs to Robert Burns, with the worst part being a shocking story at the expense of Fawaz. Lewer further described it as a crude, bad taste and insulting spectacle that made a gay man in the room extremely uncomfortable.
After the incident, Lord Malcolm Offord made a donation to an LGBT rugby club. The exact amount of the donation and what specific actions Offord took to apologize or make amends beyond it have not been disclosed. According to Daily Mirror - Main, Ian Lewer said he remembered the incident again when he became aware Offord had become leader of Reform in Scotland and felt people should know before casting votes.
I had no idea who he (Lord Offord) was until then, I had not met or heard of him. The speech itself was a bizarre attempt to link the songs of the late George Michael to the works of Robert Burns, interspersed with clips of some of his famous hits accompanied by Offord’s questionable dancing. The fact he was clearly intoxicated added another awkward dimension to the experience. But the worst part was a shocking story at the expense of Fadi Fawaz, George Michael’s partner at the time of his death.
Scotland's First Minister John Swinney branded Lord Malcolm Offord 'unfit for office', according to John Swinney. Scottish Labour's Paul O'Kane called on Lord Malcolm Offord to make a full public apology or stand down as Reform's leader in Scotland, according to Paul O'Kane. According to BBC News - UK, Paul O'Kane described this as exposing Reform as the nasty party that they are. According to BBC News - UK, Jamie Greene, a Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP, described such commentary as something you almost come to expect from anonymous trolls but not from political party leaders.
Lord Malcolm Offord says he is 'absolutely fit to be first minister' despite the controversy. In an official statement, he said he instantly regretted it and recognised that it was totally inappropriate and took responsibility for what he had said. He added that this was a clumsy mistake that he immediately acknowledged and acted upon, and that he is not homophobic but someone who accepts accountability, owns his actions, and makes amends where needed. Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage defended Lord Malcolm Offord's comments, according to multiple reports. According to BBC News - Politics, Nigel Farage described it as wrong to drum people out of public life for telling a joke at a boozy rugby club dinner among friends.
I was sitting next to a gay man and it was clearly an extremely uncomfortable and unpleasant experience for him. At the time I thought it pretty awful and indeed that was the feeling in the room. Even for a rugby club it was a crude, bad taste and insulting spectacle. I’m not a prude, I’m up for banter. But there is banter and taking things to that level. I don’t know who in their right mind would say something like that. It is utterly bizarre that anyone would get up and make a speech in a room with 200 people and say something like that. It was so shocking I’ve not forgotten it.
Lord Malcolm Offord was made a Tory peer in 2022 before defecting to Reform, according to major_media. He was appointed Reform UK's leader in Scotland by Nigel Farage in January 2024, according to multiple reports. According to BBC News - Politics, Lord Malcolm Offord described it as for other people to judge his character and integrity, which is why he is putting himself forward.
Lord Malcolm Offord said he has lost friends over his decision to defect to Reform UK. According to BBC News - Politics, he described losing a couple of people who said they could not support what the party stands for, calling it a sacrifice he has to make. The identities of these friends and their specific objections have not been revealed. A number of Reform candidates have stood down or have been suspended recently, according to multiple reports. The impact of this controversy on Offord's political career and Reform UK's prospects in Scotland remains uncertain.
I remembered it again when I became aware he had become leader of Reform in Scotland. He seems to have a strong chance of becoming an MSP, perhaps a powerful MSP. I felt people in Scotland should know before they cast their votes.
Lord Malcolm Offord was inducted into the rugby club's hall of fame in May 2023, according to major_media. The exact content of the joke he made about Fadi Fawaz has not been publicly detailed.
I instantly regretted it and recognised that it was totally inappropriate and took responsibility for what I had said.
This was a clumsy mistake that I immediately acknowledged and acted upon. I am not homophobic. I am someone who accepts accountability, owns my actions, and makes amends where needed. That is who I am.
It's for other people to judge my character, my integrity, and that's why I'm putting myself forward.
I would have been mistaken for thinking I'd done some serious misconduct or some criminal offence - instead I told a bad joke for which I've apologised.
If we're going to drum people out of public life for telling a joke at a boozy rugby club dinner that's amongst friends, we'll finish up with the dullest group of individuals, looking a bit like, sounding a bit like Keir Starmer.
This just exposes Reform as the nasty party that they are.
As a gay politician, I've been on the receiving end of some fairly unpleasant commentary over the years. You almost come to expect it from anonymous trolls on social media. You don't, however, hear it from the mouths of political party leaders. Sadly, nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to the bile emanating from the mouth of Reform; one wonders how much lower they might sink.
Yes, I've lost them. I've got a couple of people who have said to me: we just can't support what the party stands for. I feel that that is a sacrifice that I have to make if I believe in the cause of what I'm trying to do.