Reform candidate responds after Invergordon drag show row
15 April 2026
A Reform UK candidate has entered the debate sparked by criticism surrounding a poorly attended drag event at Invergordon Social Club, following coverage of the dispute in the local press.
The original report described how the Highland venue expressed frustration after low ticket sales for a weekend drag and comedy show, with video said to show that only a small number of people attended. The club’s public response drew criticism from some local residents, several of whom argued that blaming the community was unlikely to encourage support and suggested the venue should instead engage more directly with local tastes and interests.
Dr Steven William Welsh, Reform UK’s prospective Holyrood candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, has now submitted a letter to a local newspaper using the controversy to make a wider political point about culture, education, and what he described as ideology in public life.
In his letter, Dr Welsh linked the issue to broader concerns about gender ideology and the direction of Scottish politics under the SNP. He also suggested the social club might attract more support by hosting a public hustings meeting ahead of the election, focused on what local people consider suitable and worthwhile forms of education and entertainment.
His intervention is likely to divide opinion. Supporters may see it as a direct expression of socially conservative views that resonate with part of the electorate, while critics are likely to argue that it broadens a local dispute into a more ideological attack on drag performance and inclusive education.
The full letter is reproduced below.
Full letter
INVERGORDON AND TIME FOR INCLUSIVE ENTERTAINMENT
I was intrigued to read of the social venue in Invergordon struggling to drag the good folk in its surrounding area to a featured drag event - “Club staff slam public after drag show is ticket flop” (page 2 P&J, April 14).
Such aberrations in our schools find a captive audience in the form of our school children who are subjected to all sorts of unnatural gender ideologies as part of their daily indoctrination. All justified under the very colourful umbrella of TIE (Time for Inclusive Education).
Perhaps a new TIE (not to be confused with the wholesome tartan tie revealed at the recent Aberdeen Reform UK rally in the famous P&J Live) could be promoted to cater for grownups and it could be called Time for Inclusive Entertainment.
If the SNP were to extend its two decade rule of Holyrood and impose further ideology - the mere blurring of the difference between a man and a woman might only be the start of our concerns.
Presently, perhaps, the Invergordon Social Club could fill its venue by holding a hustings ahead of May 7th and invite discussion on what folk might consider wholesome subjects for education and entertainment. I for one would be very happy to drag myself along to such an event if traditional social, sartorial, and tonsorial conservatism didn’t get disingenuously labelled by the liberal left as some form of offensive right wing extremism.
Dr Steven William Welsh Reform UK Prospective Holyrood Candidate for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross Reform UK 180 West Regent Street Glasgow G2 4RW
Background
The debate began after Invergordon Social Club reportedly complained of a “lack of support” from local residents following the poorly attended event. Some local commenters pushed back, saying that if turnout was low, the answer was to better understand what the community wanted rather than criticise potential customers. Others who attended the show reportedly said they enjoyed the night and would return for similar events in future.
Dr Welsh’s letter now adds a political dimension to what began as a local row over entertainment, audience demand, and community engagement.