Reform UK's Malcolm Offord diagnosed with prostate cancer
The Scottish leader of Reform UK was diagnosed with prostate cancer on the day of the Holyrood election.
Malcolm Offord has revealed he was diagnosed with prostate cancer just hours before being elected to Holyrood.
The Scottish leader of Reform UK had an operation last week to remove his prostate and says he is now “feeling pretty good”.
He made the comments during at an appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe with Matt Forde, where he also called Rupert Lowe a “buffoon”, predicted a Reform “resurgence” across the UK, and hinted he would be in favour of Scottish independence if the right vision was put forward.
When he was on stage, Matt Forde pointed out that he was wearing a hospital wristband.
Mr Offord said: “I had a procedure last Wednesday to remove my prostate, so I am now clear.
“I went in yesterday to get the catheter bag removed and I was told to keep the band on for 24 hours, but I am feeling pretty good so I think I will take it off at the end of the show.”
He confirmed he was given the diagnosis on May 7, the day of the Holyrood election, which he described as the “weirdest thing”.
Mr Offord was then asked if having cancer was more painful than being an MSP and having to deal with first minister’s questions every week.
He joked: “The prostate is out and gone and I can move on, but I still have five more years of FMQs.
“It is routine - I am 61 and it happens in a lot of men my age.
“But the good news is that medics are all over this, they know how to fix it.
“There is plenty of life after, so you need to get checked - every male in the room knows they need to get checked.”
He also discussed Scottish independence and said he respected former first minister Alex Salmond’s vision for Scotland.
The West Scotland MSP said: “I quite liked Alex Salmond, and I got to know Alex later in life - in fact, I had lunch with Alex six months before he died.
“I really liked him, because he had a vision for Scotland and he understood prosperity.”
He added: “At the end of the day we are proud Scots and we have a Scottish identity. Being independent is what’s between my ears and I’ve not met a Scot who is not independent.
“What I want is a prosperous Scotland that is healthy and happy, and it almost doesn’t matter where that resides constitutionally, as long as it is healthy, wealthy and happy.
“I don’t think they made the case in 2014 for that because they couldn’t answer the big questions like currency and borders.”
He was asked if he would have been tempted by an independent Scotland that is the “Singapore of northern Britain” with low taxes. He said: “If I had been advising Alex Salmond and then Nicola Sturgeon after 2014 and knew you’re going to get another 12 years in government, I’d say ‘okay, what you’re going to do is not mention the ‘i’ word once, take the powers you’ve got and make Scotland the most successful part of the UK’.
“Then in 10 years’ time you can turn to people and say ‘we’ve made Scotland the most successful part of the UK on limited powers, just imagine how much better we could make it with full powers’.”
When pressed on whether he would be tempted by independence, Mr Offord said: “At the end of the day, any country can be independent.”
He added: “The hypocrisy of the SNP is they want out of the UK union and the tyranny of London, but then want in the EU union with the really nice people in Brussels. What makes you think the Germans and French are going to be nicer to you than the English?”
He also branded Rupert Lowe, leader of Restore Britain, a “buffoon”.
Mr Offord said: “I don’t know the guy. I think he’s a bit of a buffoon.
“He’s a bit disinhibited. It’s a bit like being drunk, isn’t it? He’s saying things that people might think but he’s articulating this stuff. Because he is on the fringe he’s never going to be close to power so he can sort of say what he likes.
“I just think he’s gone to the fringe and he’s a fringe player.”
Mr Offord also defended UK leader Nigel Farage’s £5 million undeclared donation from a cryptobillionaire and said the party is not contemplating replacing him as leader.
He said: “He is a strong leader, there’s no question about it.
“He’s probably the most experienced politician in the western world, he’s been doing this for 25 years, he knows what he is doing.”
Mr Offord said: “The left is saying Reform has peaked and is now going to run down.
“My personal view is that there’s going to be a resurgence of Reform in the next couple of years. I do believe that [Nigel Farage] is coming back fighting.”
He said if the Westminster investigation into his expenses leads to him being thrown out of the House of Commons and triggering a second Clacton by-election, then Mr Farage would win a massive majority again.
Mr Offord said: “It was an emphatic result in Clacton, no question about it.
“If there is another by-election there will be an even bigger result, they’ve got to think about that.”
He added: “My judgement on that is that was a personal donation, no question about it, because the guy is under attack and under threat.
“I think in the minds of the public, they would say this guy needs protection, and then here’s someone coming along and saying ‘here it is, that’s for you and your family for the rest of your life’.
“I think that’s absolutely fair and fine.”
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