By Richard Wood
Reform UK launched their 2026 manifesto on Thursday 19 March ahead of the Scottish Parliament election on May.
Polling suggests the party has a chance of coming third or even second in the upcoming election.
Former Conservative minister Malcolm Offord, now Reform UK’s Scottish leader launched the manifesto alongside Nigel Farage.
READ MORE: What are the Scottish Parliament’s new dual mandate rules for MSPs?
What does the party pledge on reforming the Scottish Parliament?
- REFORM OF HOLYROOD
In Government, Reform UK will:The Scotland Act 1998 gave extensive powers to Holyrood to allow it to control most of the levers required to improve daily life in Scotland. Yet Holyrood has not fully implemented these powers because it has been dominated by divisive SNP politics which continually seek grievance with Westminster instead of focusing on the day job of improving the lives of people
in Scotland. This SNP obsession with breaking up the UK has not allowed Scotland to prosper inside the UK. Reform UK believes Scotland’s prosperity lies in maximising the benefits of devolution, making better use of existing powers and working closely with the UK to get the
best deal for Scotland.
Repeal SNP bad laws including Hate Crime and Land ReformMaximise the benefits of devolution by working within the Scotland Act 1998 and in partnership with the UK Government
Implement formal 10 yearly review of Schedule Five powers undertaken by a joint
Holyrood/Westminster committee
Form a department of government efficiency to cut waste and duplication and the endless funding of lobbyist charities by taxpayersShut down the Quangos and return their powers to democratically elected ministers
supported by the civl serviceReboot the civil service by ending automatic WFH, reviewing employment numbers and
polices, and recruiting departments heads from the private sectorEnd lengthy public inquiries which transfer taxpayers’ money to lawyers
Create a fast-track planning regime around our 10 business clusters
In Parliament, Reform UK will:
Focus parliamentary time on Devolved rather than Reserved Matters
Strengthen the legitimacy and effectiveness of Committees by ensuring that Conveners
are elected by parliament not appointed by partiesReduce committee sizes to seven maximum
Allow the Chamber to be more interactive and less performative by permitting interventions and ad hoc questions
Impose compulsory physical attendance and voting
Propose a reduction of MSPs by aligning constituency boundaries between Holyrood and Westminster thereby going from 73 to 57 seats
Enact a Recall Bill
READ MORE: Reform UK’s manifesto: Malcolm Offord’s party on Scottish democracy
What has the party said on the constitution?
The single issue of Scottish Independence has dominated Holyrood to the detriment of thepeople of Scotland who would prefer their elected politicians to focus on the day job and grow the economy to give us better outcomes in health, education, housing and policing.
The Scottish people have no appetite for the rancour and division of another referendumany time soon.
Realistic nationalists agree that now is not the time because Scotland has not been responsibly prepared for separation by the SNP. Moreover, purist nationalists have rumbled the SNP falseindependence narrative within the EU and question why they would ever swap the “yoke” of London for Brussels. Furthermore, they are appalled at how the SNP have not protected local communities and women and girls in Scotland in preference to pursuing woke policies onimmigration and gender.
Rational unionists and realistic nationalists can find common ground and unite aroundone single ambition: to make Scotland the most successful country in the world.
It will take 10 years (two Holyrood terms) to implement this manifesto to turbocharge theeconomy in Scotland, which will unleash the resources required to deliver significant reformsto our health service, our education, our housing and our infrastructure.Which is why Reform UK says ENOUGH to the distraction of another referendum.
READ MORE: Yet another poll shows Scotland on track for an unrepresentative election due to AMS
Upgrade Holyrood 