Reform ‘don’t care’ about the Union, Kemi Badenoch claims

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has blasted Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party, claiming that they “don’t care about the Union” between Scotland the rest of the UK.

Mrs Badenoch hit out after former SNP and Alba Party MSP Ash Regan, who is now sitting as an Independent at Holyrood, said she had “declined” an approach to join Reform.

Speaking to the Daily Record, Ms Regan said: “Just to confirm that I have been approached by Reform and I have declined them, so I will not be moving to the Reform party.”

Independent MSP Ash Regan – who has been a member of both the SNP and the Alba Party – said she had turned down an invitation to join Reform. (Jane Barlow/PA)

Mrs Badenoch, speaking to journalists after poor weather thwarted her plans to travel to Scotland, insisted this showed Mr Farage’s party “flirting” with independence supporters.

It comes as polls ahead of next May’s Holyrood elections suggest Reform UK could end up with more MSPs than the Tories – who are currently the main opposition party at the Scottish Parliament.

But Mrs Badenoch warned voters north of the border about the possible consequences of backing Mr Farage’s party.

She said Scots should “be worried about the fact that Reform is very happy with succession, they are flirting with pro-independence MSPs, they don’t care about the independence debate, they don’t care about the Union”.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said her party would ‘get Scotland working again’ as she said there were too many people in receipt of benefits. (Danny Lawson/PA)

Speaking about the rival party she added: “They have been very clear that they would be happy to prop up the SNP.”

She insisted it is the Conservative Party which is “the unionist party”, adding that her party will “look after a lot of the issues people are struggling with”.

The Tory leader said: “People want to see a stronger economy and stronger borders. They want to get Britain working again.

“We’re the only ones who will balance the books, deal with our welfare culture and actually create economic growth.”

On the issue of welfare Mrs Badenoch stressed the “need to get Britain working again” and to “get Scotland working again”.

She added: “Too many people are on welfare, they are not working, we are creating a spiral of decline.

“And that’s the message we’re going to be taking to Scottish voters over the next six months.”

The Conservative leader continued: “Right now what is happening is the rider is getting heavier than the horse, we have fewer and fewer people in work and more and more people out of work.

“We need to make sure welfare is for those people who cannot work, not those people who choose not to work.”

Reform UK has been contacted for comment.