By Liz S

Well here’s something else worthy of our contempt in that there is a constant demonising of the SNP from a certain party and their party branch office manager, while they (and he) acts as if they (and he), among all parties and all party leaders in Scotland, were the only true political moral crusaders at Holyrood.

To whom do I refer ?

The Lib Dems and Alex Cole-Hamilton.

Firstly we had the ex Tory MSP Maurice Golden who chose not to stand as an MSP in this year’s Scottish elections, however in July 2026 The Courier newspaper revealed that Golden was “was now advising MSPs from the Reform UK group” and this was “despite previously accusing his former party of “trying to out-Reform Reform”.

“Golden clarified that he was helping to provide “political intelligence” for the rookie group of 17 MSPs (from Reform UK), and did not get involved in Reform’s political campaigning or messaging”.

Now Maurice Golden has defected to the Scottish Lib Dems and is seeking a candidacy with them in the next GE.

However there is now more to this story in respect to Reform UK links.

On 6 November it was reported that:

“LibDems urged to come clean over ‘undemocratic’ Reform defection rumours”

“The SNP have demanded that Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton rule out accepting Reform UK MSPs into his party amid rumours of a potential defection”

“The party has called on Cole-Hamilton to “spill the truth” over whether discussions have taken place with Reform MSP Graham Simpson about a possible switch to the LibDems”.

“The SNP claimed that Holyrood is “awash with gossip” that Simpson could be considering leaving the far-right party”

“Speaking on The National Podcast in March , Cole-Hamilton ruled out working with Reform UK at Holyrood”.

Cole-Hamilton said at the time: “We are fundamentally different parties. There are no deals or alliances, I am focused relentlessly on getting as many LibDems elected as possible. I think we’re going to take a big leap forward.”

“Pressed on whether he would join a Unionist pact involving Reform if it could stop John Swinney from getting a second independence referendum, Cole-Hamilton said: “There is no circumstances the LibDems are going to enter a pact with Reform”

“Rumours are swirling around Holyrood that Alex Cole-Hamilton has held shadowy talks with Graham Simpson to woo him from Nigel Farage’s party into the Liberal Democrats – it’s time Alex Cole-Hamilton came out the shadows and ruled this out.”

“Responding to the rumours, a Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: “This is nonsense.”

So just as the ex Tory MSP Jamie Green was welcomed with open arms into the Lib Dem party we now see that other ex Tory MSP’s are also welcomed , but worse than that they , as ex Tories, have also been associated with Reform UK.

Perhaps the Lib Dems are being way too liberal with their politics in them welcoming any (far) right wing politicians into their fold, as in ones who indulge in political musical chairs, dependent on which way they , as politicians, see that the wind is seemingly blowing for the party that they are currently a part of .

( As is it now seems that Reform UK are apparently in descension in the polls).

Also as to the Lib Dems being democrats , well how is it democratic to allow an MSP to move from one party to another, not just once but potentially twice, if the rumours are true about Graham Simpson, without then having a by election and so then allowing the constituents to decide . (this is clearly a flaw in the system at Holyrood, as no List MSP should be allowed to move more than once from one party to another).

Plus surely the lesson for the Lib Dems would be that the Tory MSP who previously defected to their party, one Jamie Greene, then lost his seat as a Lib Dem candidate in this years Scottish elections.

In September 2026 the Lib Dem HQ leader , Ed Davey, stated that “the Liberal Democrats are a firewall against Nigel Farage and Reform” .

Davey also “warned an “unholy alliance” between Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Farage could turn the UK into a “Trump satellite state”.

Meanwhile the rumours are that the branch office in Scotland will remove their “firewall” (yet again) and so then seek a “unholy alliance” (yet again) with yet another an ex Tory MSP, Graham Simpson, who then became a Reform UK MSP.

(Maurice Golden was also an ex Tory MSP who then advised Reform UK but now he has joined the Lib Dems).

It seems the Lib Dems are quite keen to embrace fickle politicians into their party, which does not surprise me as the Lib Dems are also well known to be fickle themselves, especially when it comes to their policies and their support – examples being their betrayal on tuition fees in England in 2010 and also in September 2020 Ed Davey stated on Brexit that “the party had become too diverted and distracted by Brexit” and he also argued that “the debate over EU membership was effectively over for the next few years”.

(Meanwhile the SNP have been constant in their support for EU membership and so have always supported Scotland re-joining the EU).

Graham Simpson has explicitly denied rumours that he is planning to defect from Reform UK to the Scottish Liberal Democrats – but then one has to ask how did these rumours start ?

The Lib Dems are a favoured party for disenchanted Tory voters so then it makes perfect sense that any ex Tory MSP, MP and Councillor would then also be favoured by the Lib Dems as party politicians. (however now that also includes those ex Tories who have had links to Reform UK , either as a politician or as a adviser).

Can the Lib Dems sink any lower ? ( yes actually they probably could and so will likely do so – constantly).

Liz S