A telling exchange from Tuesday night’s televised debate for the Scottish Parliament elections. 

Malcolm Offord, businessman and Tory peer turned Reform’s leader north of the border, confronted Ross Greer, co-leader of the Scottish Greens and quite possibly the next deputy first minister of the devolved government. Reform is promising to cut voters’ taxes while the Greens are practically giddy at the prospect of raising them on ‘the super rich’, which would include Offord himself. 

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After detailing his background (Greenock tenement, local grammar, Edinburgh Uni) and his rocky entrepreneurial beginnings (he arrived in London 40 years ago, two grand in the red), Offord said:

‘Today, I own six houses, five cars, and six boats. In a 40-year business career, I’ve employed thousands of people and paid £45 million in tax. I don’t say this to boast, but to ask you this question, Mr Greer: in your Scotland, do you want more people like me or fewer people like me?’

To which Greer replied: ‘Fewer people like you.’

You know folk the world over, and especially Americans, claim to be Scottish? Here’s the definitive test. Which is being ridiculed by opponents and scolded by the media for making an almighty gaffe: Greer or Offord? If you answered Greer, I regret to inform you that you have not a trace of Jock in your DNA. (On the plus side, you’ll probably live beyond 55.)

Offord’s political opponents are capitalising on his blunder, or at least they think they are, with some snarkily sharing details of their........

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