MALCOLM Offord said he “absolutely” backs detention centres in the new Scottish Greens seats of Edinburgh Central and Glasgow Southside, as Reform UK unveiled its new MSPs in Glasgow on Saturday (MAY 9).

Reform UK announced prior to Thursday’s elections across the UK that it would open migrant detention centres for people awaiting deportation in areas that vote for the Green Party, should it be elected to government.

The party confirmed last week that the policy would apply in Scotland, where the Scottish Greens won their first ever constituencies in the Scottish Parliament on Friday (MAY 8), picking up Edinburgh Central and Glasgow Southside from the SNP.

Glasgow, Scotland, UK. 9 May 2026
PICTURED: Malcolm Offord, Leader of Reform UK Scotland Party.
Reform UK Scotland winning team of newly elected MSPs seen in a group photograph at Pacific Quay in Glasgow on the day after the vote count was concluded for the Scottish Parliament Election 2026, which took place yesterday, Thursday, 7 May 2026.
Reform UK Scotland now have
CREDIT: Colin D Fisher/CDFIMAGES.COM (C) COLIN D FISHER/CDFIMAGES.COM

When asked by Deadline News on Saturday whether he would back detention centres in those constituencies, Reform UK’s Scotland leader responded “absolutely”.

Offord said: “I think that’s democracy in action, isn’t it?

“If you’ve got a disagreement in the UK about some people in favour of these centres and some not, then it’s only democratic they should go to where the voters have voted for it.”

When asked why Reform wouldn’t build the centres in areas they control, Offord responded: “My point is, it’s not about me or you.

“It’s about where the voters have voted, and if the Green voters have voted in that constituency, that tells you something about their views on the matter.”

Former Scottish Greens co-convenor Lorna Slater defeated SNP heavyweight Angus Robertson and Scottish Labour to win Edinburgh Central, while Holly Bruce won Nicola Sturgeon’s former seat of Glasgow Southside

Last week, Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer compared Reform’s plans to “concentration camps”, which Offord denied.

Offord said last week: “The difference is that a camp where you are given humane accommodation, where you are given medical treatment, where you are assessed and looked at humanely. It is a place where you are able to process people who have come here illegally.

“It is a long way from, different from, a concentration camp.”

Offord was elected as an MSP on the West Scotland regional list, with the party now on 17 MSPs.

Tom joined Deadline News in 2025 after graduating with a master’s degree in Journalism from Edinburgh Napier University. He has previously reported on Scottish and European politics in both print and broadcast, and is also a freelance football commentator.

Being half-Belgian, Tom is also a fluent French speaker. You can contact him using the links below.

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