Scottish Tory council leader defects to Reform

Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay has barely been in the job four months and already his party is facing defections. Mr S can reveal today that Glasgow councillor – and the Scottish Conservative’s leader on Glasgow City Council – Thomas Kerr has jumped ship to Nigel Farage’s party to represent Reform UK on Glasgow City Council. With the Scottish Conservatives already nervous about next year’s Holyrood poll, the news will come as yet another blow ahead of the election…

The Glasgow councillor – who in 2023 stood against Labour’s energy minister Michael Shanks in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election – has insisted that ‘Reform UK represents the change that our communities need’ and pledged to continue his work to better addiction services in the city’s East End. Lauding the politician, Farage’s party remarked it was ‘rewarding to welcome someone as passionate and driven as Thomas to Reform’ as the group is keen to strengthen its influence north of the border.