John Swinney accuses Malcolm Offord of 'tone-deaf' bragging over his wealth
The leader of Reform UK in Scotland revealed he owns six houses, five cars and six boats
John Swinney has accused Malcolm Offord of “tone-deaf” bragging after the leader of Reform UK in Scotland revealed he owns six houses, five cars and six boats during a live TV debate.
The First Minister said the comments were “an example of how completely and utterly out of touch” Nigel Farage’s party is with the reality of people’s lives.
Mr Swinney also said he would be “very happy” for the party leaders to publish their tax returns.
“My tax returns are fundamentally not interesting at all,” he said. “But I’m sure from what Lord Offord said, there could be, well more than likely a feeding frenzy over his tax returns.”
It comes after Lord Offord, a former financier who defected from the Conservatives last year, revealed the extent of his wealth in an exchange with Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer during the STV debate on Tuesday evening.
The life peer, who grew up in Greenock, said: “I went to London 40 years ago with £2,000 in debt and full of ambition – I worked hard, and I was successful.
“Today, I own six houses, five cars and six boats. In a 40-year business career, I’ve employed hundreds of thousands of people and paid £45 million in tax.”
He added that his intention was not to “boast”, but to ask if the Greens would want more or less people like him in Scotland.
“Fewer people like you,” Mr Greer said. “I think it’s worth, at this point in the debate, pointing out that there are three times as many holiday homes and empty properties in this country as there are homeless children.
“You don’t need six homes, you don’t even need two homes, everybody just needs a home to live in.
“Surely, if we’re to tackle the housing crisis, the super rich, elite individuals like you should be giving up some of those homes so that people who desperately need a roof over their head actually had somewhere to live.”
Asked about Lord Offord’s comments during a campaign visit on Leith Walk in Edinburgh, Mr Swinney said: “I certainly thought it was tone-deaf.
“I thought setting out an individual’s personal wealth and using that at a time when people are really facing acute hardship, where they quite literally cannot afford a decent shop - which is why I’m bringing forward the affordable price cap proposals - was an example of how completely and utterly out of touch Reform are with the reality of people’s lives.
“And of course, as I set out in the debate last night, there’s so much else about Reform that is totally unacceptable because of the poisonous division that they have brought into this campaign, and an emphatic SNP win is the way to lock Reform out.”
The First Minister later said he wanted there to be “successful people in Scotland”, but added: “I think the point I was being asked by [a journalist] a moment ago was did I think it was tone-deaf to brag about these things while people are facing acute hardship in their lives? And my answer on that question is I don’t think it is particularly the right thing to do when people are facing such hardship.”
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