Reform remove Scottish official after family claim

A Reform UK organiser in Scotland has been removed from his post after it was reported he had family ties to violent Loyalists.

Nigel Farage's party confirmed Craig Campbell was no longer a member after the Daily Record said he is the son of a Loyalist bomber, and the cousin of a man jailed for stabbing a Celtic fan to death.

It was also claimed that he had images comparing the SNP to Nazis on his social media accounts, which have now been deleted.

A spokesperson for Reform UK Scotland said the party "will not tolerate discrimination of anyone in any form".

According to the Record, Campbell is the cousin of Jason Campbell, who was jailed in 1996 for murdering 16-year-old Celtic supporter Mark Scott in Glasgow.

The trial heard the attacker ran up behind the victim, who was wearing a Celtic scarf, and screamed a sectarian remark before stabbing him.

The murder inspired the creation of anti-sectarian charity Nil by Mouth.

Campbell is also reported to be the son of William Campbell, and nephew of Colin Campbell.

The pair were jailed for their roles in the bombing of the Clelland Bar and Old Barns pub in Glasgow in 1979.

William Campbell, known as "Big Bill", has been named as the UVF's commander in Scotland during the Troubles.

A 2011 book alleged that he was also involved in the 1971 bombing of a Belfast pub that killed 15 people.

Ciaran MacAirt, author of The McGurk's Bar Bombing, claimed the Scottish UVF chief smuggled the explosives used in the attack into Northern Ireland.

He died in 1997, and is commemorated by a Loyalist plaque in Belfast describing him as a "true soldier".

Labour MSP Paul O'Kane said Scots would be "deeply concerned" that someone with family links to sectarian violence and paramilitary gangs was "at the heart of Reform UK's electoral machine in Scotland".

He added: "Mr Campbell must take this opportunity to publicly break with and condemn his family connection with terrorism. If Mr Campbell fails to do so, Reform UK must expel him before they are known as a haven for terrorist sympathisers and sectarians."

Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman said Campbell should not have been appointed as the party's organiser.

She added: "It seems like Reform can't go a week without yet another scandal or shameful association."

Recent polls have suggested that Reform could be on track to pick up several seats at the next Holyrood election, scheduled for 2026.

Ahead of the general election in July, the party was forced to drop several candidates due to offensive comments, while two defected to the Conservatives due to concerns about bigotry among other candidates.

Reform's candidate in Orkney and Shetland, Robert Smith, reportedly posted numerous insults on social media about prominent women - including one suggesting Nicola Sturgeon should be shot.

Reform chairman Richard Tice described such insults as "appalling" and admitted "mistakes" had been made in the party's selection process.

Farage has previously said "bad apples" will be removed from the party, which he said had been "let down" by a vetting company hired to assess candidates.

Campbell, who has deleted his social media accounts, appeared as an audience member on an episode of BBC Scotland's Debate Night in October last year.

During a debate about the conflict between Hamas and Israel, he said Egypt should be pressured to open its borders to refugees from Gaza "so it's only Hamas that's left", adding: "And Israel can bomb, do what they've got to do".

He told the panel Israel should be able to "wipe Hamas from the face of the earth".

BBC Scotland News has been unable to contact Campbell for comment.