REFORM TO CHAIR PROMINENT COMMITTEES

Following their strong showing in last month’s election, Reform UK is all set to take the chair of two of the most significant committees at Holyrood. The new populist right-wing party is expected to lead both the economy and health committees, with the economy group also covering energy matters. That’s quite the step up and a clear sign of just how much their standing has changed in a very short space of time.

A senior figure within the party said they are absolutely delighted to be taking charge of two such high profile parts of the Scottish Parliament. They explained that their whole campaign was built around economic issues and energy fits perfectly into that remit. Energy is a huge concern for them particularly in the north east of Scotland, so having oversight here feels like a natural fit. They added that health is another major policy area controlled by Holyrood and they are genuinely looking forward to getting stuck into that work as well.

The source went on to say nobody should be too taken aback by this development. They now hold 17 seats and share the role of main opposition party with Labour, so taking on these key roles is exactly what you’d expect. It’s a great chance for their MSPs to prove what they can do and they’re confident everyone will see their team put to excellent use. It really does go to show how far they’ve come considering that before the election they only had one representative after Graham Simpson crossed the floor from the Conservatives.

Winning those 17 list seats means they now have voices right across every region of Scotland.

They wouldn’t be drawn on exactly who will fill these chair roles just yet, but did say the people in line are serious minded individuals and very much the obvious choices. We do know some of the key figures involved though. Helen McDade who represents Mid Scotland and Fife has been announced as their health spokeswoman while Malcolm Offord handles the economy brief. Party leaders tend not to sit on committees though so don’t assume he will take the top job there.

Meanwhile Duncan Massey the MSP for North East looks after energy matters for the group.

This year brings a new system where MSPs themselves vote to pick committee chairs for the first time. Even so Reform UK is confident their chosen candidates won’t face any roadblocks when it comes to taking these leading positions. The votes to decide who sits where will happen next week although don’t expect everything to be up and running straight away. Committees aren’t likely to hold their first official meetings until the week starting 15 June.