REFORM UK have ruled out supporting a Scottish independence referendum after social media rumours suggested Nigel Farage would consider granting one.
Writer Neil Drysdale sparked the debate when he wrote on Twitter/X, saying an unnamed Reform supporter told him "Farage will promise a second independence referendum before the next election".
"If he does, everything is up for grabs," he added.
The speculation prompted a blog post from Wings Over Scotland, who argued that disillusioned, Brexit-backing independence voters could be tempted by Farage's offering – and said backing indyref2 would make "credible political sense" for the political leader.
Wings added: "Even if [Reform] turned out to be lying they couldn’t realistically make a bigger pig’s arse of governing at Holyrood than than SNP have for the last 10 years."
Meanwhile Scottish Tory MSP Murdo Fraser (below) quickly grasped onto the rumours, hoping they could push Unionists away from Reform.
Both Labour and the Tories have been losing support to Farage's outfit, according to recent polling.
"Well there you go, vote [Reform]; get another 4 years of constitutional division and upheaval," Fraser added. "They are not to be trusted on the Union."
But debate was cut short when Reform themselves stepped in to declare their support for the Union, while attacking both the Bath-based blogger and Fraser's party.
"The [Scottish Tories] are now so desperate that they're tweeting unnamed sources and Wings over Scotland," they said. "Dear oh dear ... Reform UK Scotland is a Pro-UK party no ifs or buts," followed by a Saltire and Union flag.
It is not the first time Reform's Unionist credentials have been questioned. At last year's General Election, a number of candidates standing for the party confirmed they voted Yes in the 2014 referendum.
Those candidates included Kris Callander in Gordon and Buchan, Vicky McCann in Dundee Central and David Kirkwood, the party's deputy chairman.
Urging pro-Union voters away from the party, Tory chairman Craig Hoy warned: "Even a few votes for Reform could elect an SNP MP by the back door.
“We know several Reform candidates are pro-independence, so it may well be that helping the SNP is what they really want."
