John Swinney, Anas Sarwar, Alex Cole-Hamilton and the co-leaders of the Greens urged Reform’s leader in Scotland to consider his position amid revulsion at the sick gag.

Holyrood’s political leaders have called for Reform’s Scottish chief to quit over a vile homophobic joke about the late George Michael.

John Swinney, Anas Sarwar, Alex Cole Hamilton and the co-leaders of the Greens urged Malcolm Offord to consider his position amid revulsion at the sick gag.

Offord admitted he told the horrendous joke after he’d had a “bit to drink”.

The First Minister said: “He is unfit to be leader of any political party. Unfit to be a member of the Scottish Parliament.”

The Record revealed on Tuesday that Offord, who is the hand picked leader of Reform UK in Scotland, made the tasteless joke during a Burns Night speech in London in 2018.

We have chosen not to print the comments on the grounds of taste.

OPINION

Paul Hutcheon

READ MORE: Reform UK Scotland leader apologises over homophobic joke about George Michael

Ian Lewer, who is from Surrey, told us in a statement Offord unleashed a boozy story about Michael and his surviving partner Fadi Fawaz.

He said: “The worst part was a shocking story at the expense of Fadi Fawaz, George Michael’s partner at the time of his death.”

“I was sitting next to a gay man and it was clearly an extremely uncomfortable and unpleasant experience for him.

“At the time I thought it pretty awful and indeed that was the feeling in the room. Even for a rugby club it was a crude, bad taste and insulting spectacle.

“I’m not a prude, I’m up for banter. But there is banter and taking things to that level. I don’t know who in their right mind would say something like that.”

The homophobic joke has united Scotland’s political leaders against Offord.

Swinney said: “Malcolm Offord has been found out, sharing completely and utterly intolerant and unacceptable material with audiences. If that’s what he thinks and feels, he has no role to perform in Scottish politics. That is completely and utterly unacceptable.

“We have to be really careful as a country about where we are heading.”

He added: “The thing that would worry me… is that if he was to tell that joke at a Reform conference, I suspect lots of people would laugh and applaud.”

Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, also said Offord should consider his position over the “disgusting” comments.

Cole-Hamilton, who leads the Scottish Lib Dems, said: “I think he should resign immediately. He’s unfit for public office. This wasn’t some schoolboy comment, it was a joke made in a public setting from someone decades into their professional career.

“If this isn’t an insight into how he truly views the world, I don’t know what would be.”

Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer said: “However bad everyone thought this so-called joke was, it was so much worse. To have even thought that was funny in the first place, to have spent time constructing a joke like that, shows someone whose character is fundamentally rotten.

“He has no place in public life in Scotland. He should step down now with an unequivocal apology and that should be the last thing we ever hear from him on the public record.”

Fellow Green co-leader Gillian MacKay said: “He should absolutely be standing down and we should never see him here at Holyrood.”

Offord said he apologised at the time and made a donation to charity. In a statement on X, he also admitted he had been under the influence of alcohol:

“The media have been having another pop at me, so here are the full facts for the public to judge for themselves:

“Eight years ago, in 2018, long before I was appointed a government minister in the Lords, I gave the Burns Night after-dinner speech at a rugby club before a large crowd of members and their friends, wives, husbands, and partners. I must admit, I’d had a bit to drink by then, and finished with a crude joke about the late George Michael, as I had been connecting his songs to Burns’s works.

“It was intended to be funny through being edgy and shocking, but I’m no Frankie Boyle or Ricky Gervais. Instead of being funny, I made members of the audience uncomfortable and instantly regretted it.

“I immediately apologised to the club, and made amends by voluntarily donating to the King’s Cross Steelers, the original gay-inclusive rugby union club, to support their travel and participation in the Bingham Cup in Amsterdam. I then also arranged a fixture between my club and theirs.

“So that’s the whole story of what happened eight years ago. Most of the media won’t publish the joke, but I see that the general gist has now been reported, and I don’t want to sully your screens with something so crude.”

Meanwhile, Reform UK’s only MSP has said Offord is still fit to lead the Scottish party despite the joke row.

Graham Simpson, Reform UK MSP for Central Scotland, told media at the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday: “I don’t know what the joke was, I’ve not seen it. I don’t want to see it. ”

A new ISA is set to be introduced for first-time buyers which will replace the Lifetime ISA

The government has issued an update to anyone with a Lifetime ISA (LISA) amid concerns that penalties could be introduced for existing holders. A LISA is a UK government-backed savings account that was introduced in 2017, designed for people aged 18–39 to save for their first property or retirement.

You can save up to £4,000 a year in a LISA towards a first home costing up to £450,000. The government offers a 25 per cent bonus of up to £1,000 a year, but if you withdraw money for any other reason other than a house or retirement, you can incur a 25 per cent penalty.

In the 2025 autumn budget, the government announced it is consulting on replacing the LISA with a new, simpler ISA product to help those buying their first home. Dame Meg Hillier, Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, issued a statement following the Budget in November.

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“In our report, we concluded that the Lifetime ISA is too complex. One concern we raised related to its dual-purpose of saving for both a home and retirement, which results in poor outcomes for savers. We argued that it would make more sense to create two separate, tailored policies which genuinely help people achieve those goals,” said Meg.

“The Chancellor acknowledging the need to replace the Lifetime ISA with a simpler product specifically to help people saving for a home is a step in the right direction. We look forward to seeing what the Treasury proposes next year.”

An update from HMRC in January confirmed that the new ISA product only be available for first-time buyers. It also confirmed that the government’s bonus will be provided when used to buy a house. HMRC also said this would remove the need for a withdrawal charge.

With the consultation scheduled to take place in early 2026, the government has now issued an update regarding the potential penalty that LISA holders could face when switching to the new ISA product, as well as rules for existing holders.

In the House of Commons daily report from Tuesday (March 24), the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, was asked: “On Individual Savings Accounts, whether existing Lifetime ISA holders will be permitted to transfer their savings without penalty into the new product that will be offered in place of the Lifetime ISA.”

Lucy Rigby, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, responded: “At Autumn Budget 2025, the Government announced that it will consult in early 2026on introducing a new, simpler ISA product for first time buyers. The new ISA product will be offered in place of the Lifetime ISA.

“The consultation will consider how existing Lifetime ISA holders should be treated, including any potential transitional arrangements or transfer options. It will remain possible to open a Lifetime ISA until the new product becomes available and for account holders to continue to save into their Lifetime ISA in line with the existing rules indefinitely.”

Mr Brittin, who will become the 18th director-general of the BBC, said: “Now, more than ever, we need a thriving BBC that works for everyone in a complex, uncertain and fast-changing world. At its best, it shows us, and the world, who we are. It’s an extraordinary, uniquely British asset, with over 100 years of innovation in storytelling, technology and powering creativity. I’m honoured and excited to be asked to serve as director-general.

An Australian black comedy crime series has returned for another instalment on Prime Video

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The “best murder mystery on TV” has made its comeback for another series, leaving fans clamouring for more. Australian black comedy crime drama Deadloch first arrived on Prime Video back in 2023. Conceived by Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan, the narrative unfolds in Deadloch, a fictional Tasmanian town.

As the series begins, the tranquil coastal community is rattled when a local man’s corpse washes up on the shore. Two female detectives reluctantly join forces to lead the investigation: the meticulous Senior Sergeant Dulcie Collins (Kate Box), and the impulsive and reckless Detective Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami). The duo are assisted by enthusiastic Constable Abby Matsuda (Nina Oyama) and Officer Sven Alderman (Tom Ballard).

The killing occurred during the town’s annual Winter Festival, with the investigation compelling Dulcie and Eddie to navigate each other’s vastly different working methods.

Following a predominantly favourable response to its debut series, the programme was swiftly commissioned for another run, which launched on the platform earlier this month. Hollywood star Luke Hemsworth has notably joined the ensemble, reports the Express.

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The second series sees the programme entering a “gothic” phase, with events unfolding in Australia’s Northern Territory. Detectives Dulcie and Eddie travel to Darwin to examine the death of Eddie’s former policing colleague. However, their intentions are quickly redirected when human remains are uncovered in a remote settlement called Barra Creek.

“Sticky, sweaty and juggling comprehensive thrush infections, the detectives find themselves embroiled in a world of crocodile-fuelled tourism, overstretched Indigenous rangers, cagey locals, and seven-metre prehistoric predators – all of whom call Barra Creek’s stretch of land, and water, their home,” the synopsis continues.

“As the humidity builds, and Eddie and Dulcie dig deeper, more questions arise for our duo – not only about the case, but the many secrets that lie beneath the surface of this small town.”

The second series has already garnered glowing reviews from critics, with The Telegraph dubbing the programme “the best murder mystery on TV”. Meanwhile, Decider commended its “wickedly funny” cast.

Fans have also been expressing their excitement, with one viewer posting on X (formerly Twitter): “I’m obsessed with watching #Deadloch season 2.”

Another contributed: “#Deadloch season 2 is as chaotic as I’d hoped,” whilst a third commented: “Damn.. I kinda.. a little bit.. a lot.. want more #Deadloch. Amazon give us season 3.”

An IMDb user likewise remarked: “I need more seasons! When I started episode 1, I wasn’t sure what tone they were going with. But by the end of the first episode, I got it – the intent was to be much funnier than I expected. Then I was hooked, I binged it and have watched it several times over. This has to be everyone’s favourite show.”

Another contributed: “Deadloch delivers on all fronts. This comedy-drama successfully sets up a mystery that is hard to guess than some of the mystery dramas that take themselves more seriously. You have to watch this!”

A third fan shared similar views, stating: “I haven’t laughed out loud so many times in such a long time. It’s weird, quirky and dark. If you love Australian humour and some crime, this is it! It will keep you guessing and crying with laughter all at the same time.”

Deadloch is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video

The mass exit came moments after the Prime Minister labelled Nigel Farage an ‘absolute disgrace’

Reform UK MPs walked out of the House of Commons chamber during Prime Minister’s Questions after Sir Keir Starmer labelled Nigel Farage an ‘absolute disgrace’, the Mirror reports.

MPs jeered and said “bye” as they walked out at around lunchtime today (Wednesday, March 25). Tory turncoat and newbie Reform member Robert Jenrick was the last to leave as the party threw a collective tantrum this morning.

Before the exit, Mr Farage had said: “Smash the gangs. That is what the Prime Minister promised us. ‘Trust me, I will stop the boats from coming’.

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“But 70,000 later and 1,000 in the last week, and too many young men that pose a threat to national security,” Mr Farage continued. “Is it not time to admit ‘smash the gangs’ has been a total abject failure, along frankly, with most of his other policies, and isn’t it now time he told us, as summer approaches, what is Plan B?”

Sir Keir replied: “This is from the man and the party that voted against giving law enforcement counter-terrorism style powers to tackle it. So he wants a grievance, he doesn’t want it sorted.”

Moments before this exchange, the Prime Minister announced that donations in cryptocurrencies would be blocked after the Rycroft review set out the “stark threats posed by illicit finance”.

“I hope that will be welcomed across the House,” he said. “There is only one party leader who has shown he will say anything, no matter how divisive, if he is paid to do so.”

Mr Farage ignored the Sir Keir’s jibe before challenging the Labour leader over his record on small boat migrants.

A tearful Savannah Guthrie, in her first interview since her 84-year-old mother was apparently abducted from her Arizona home, said that “someone needs to do the right thing” and come forward with information to help the investigation.

“We are in agony,” she told NBC News colleague Hoda Kotb in a portion of the interview aired Wednesday on the “Today” show. She said she wakes up in the middle of each night thinking of what her mother went through.

NBC said Wednesday that a full interview with its “Today” show host will air on the program Thursday and Friday. It is Guthrie’s first interview since her mother was reported missing on Feb. 1. Based on security footage, authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped or otherwise taken against her will.

Both Guthrie and Kotb were crying during the brief portion of the interview aired on Wednesday. Kotb, Guthrie’s former co-host, has returned to “Today” while her former colleague has been away.

While Guthrie said that while it is unbearable to think of the terror her mother must have felt, “those thoughts demand to be thought. And I will not hide my face. But she needs to come home now.”

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Savannah Guthrie has been a co-host of NBC’s morning show since 2012, and is expected to return at some point, although no date has been set as she spends time with her family.

Despite offering a $1 million reward for information, there has been little movement in the investigation. Guthrie’s family last weekend appealed to neighbors in Arizona to search back through their memories for anything they might have seen that could help the investigation. “No detail is too small,” they said.

Kotb said Wednesday that “there is a desperation and a steeliness about Savannah. She hopes that somebody, whoever that person is, will say something.”

We’re offering one lucky reader four free tickets to Alton Towers Resort theme park – including an overnight stay with buffet breakfast, Gold Fastrack Passes, a family ticket to the Waterpark & nine holes of Extraordinary Golf.

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For the first time ever a Bluey junior coaster made for kiddos and big imaginations opens on 28th March 2026! Bluey and Bingo dressed up as the Grannies, Janet and Rita, get up to some grannies-themed mischief through Bluey’s backyard, whisking you over gentle dips, around turns, and through colourful trees, flowers, and playful surprises.

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