A recent poll suggested a possible unionist majority in Holyrood.
Reform UK has urged Anas Sarwar to back their leader in Scotland to be first minister.
A major poll released by More in Common on Monday suggested the unionist parties could hold the majority in Holyrood after the May 7 election, meaning a cross-party coalition could oust John Swinney from Bute House.
In a statement released on Monday, Malcolm Offord said Reform UK MSPs would not support a push from Anas Sarwar to be first minister and pushed the Labour leader to back his bid for the top job.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has also ruled out his party working with Reform, effectively scuppering any chances of Lord Offord making it to Bute House based on the poll.
The multi-level regression with post-stratification (MRP) poll spoke to more than 5,000 Scots between February 4 and April 10, and put Reform in second place on 22 seats, behind the SNP’s 56, with Labour in third place on 17 MSPs.
“This poll reflects exactly what Reform is picking up on the doors – momentum,” Lord Offord said.
“We are now Scotland’s only challenger to this rotten SNP Government.
“There is now a key question for Scotland’s other unionist parties – will they back a Reform-led Government or stick with failure under the SNP?
🧵Our First Holyrood MRP, out today estimates the balance of power on a knife edge between pro independence & pro unionist majority. With the Scottish Greens winning their first constituency seats, Reform UK breaking through in Scotland and many constituency seats on a knife edge pic.twitter.com/RCh4gdsh5b
— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) April 20, 2026
“It is abundantly clear now that Anas Sarwar will not be first minister.
“The only way that would happen is if all unionist parties backed him in a coalition and we at Reform are categorically rule out supporting a Labour Party that no longer supports workers and doesn’t share our ambition to make Scotland the most prosperous part of the United Kingdom.
“So, we ask Mr Sarwar, will you back a Reform government or will you let this country suffer another five years of the SNP?”
The public relationship has been acrimonious in the past year, heightened by ads described as “racist” run by Reform during a Holyrood by-election about Mr Sarwar.
The Scottish Labour leader has been forced to deny claims from Lord Offord that he approached him at a TV appearance last year and said they would have to “work together” to oust the SNP.
Mr Sarwar dismissed the Reform leader in Scotland as a “liar” following the claim, which was made during a televised debate last week.
