REFORM'S OPERATION LOLLYROOD

Farage charges party hopefuls £200 to stand in election

- BY HANNAH RODGER Political Editor

NIGEL Farage is charging Holyrood hopefuls £200 to apply to stand for his party - with some of the money funding their own vetting checks.

Reform UK is asking members who want to put themselves forward for the next Scottish Parliamentary elections to pay to apply and for training.

The party leader previously said Reform was sabotaged by a professional vetting firm in the general election run-up and threatened to sue.

He claimed the company had been handed £144,000 to probe potential candidates and had produced nothing.

A raft of negative stories later appeared about candidates, including those who made racist online posts.

Despite promising to "rigorously" vet future candidates, more extremist social media posts have emerged from some of the party's 677 new councillors elected in the English local elections.

Experts have said the party needs to tackle vetting and put forward serious candidates.

In a recruitment email to members, Reform's head of campaigns said running for Holyrood was a "once in a lifetime opportunity" and they wanted "the best of Scotland to come forward".