Graham Simpson 'gave me assurances he did not call me a weasel', says senior Reform figure
Thomas Kerr said he “gets on really well” with the party’s sole MSP and that he “brokered” Mr Simpson’s defection from the Conservatives.
Graeme Simpson “gave me assurance he didn’t call me a weasel”, a senior Reform figure has said.
Thomas Kerr said he “gets on really well” with the party’s sole MSP and that he “brokered” Mr Simpson’s defection from the Conservatives.
It comes after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar claimed that Mr Simpson had called Reform’s Scottish leader Malcolm Offord “useless”, and then dubbed Mr Kerr “a weasel”.
Mr Simpson has denied that the conversation ever happened and instead referred to Mr Kerr as a “lion”.
Mr Kerr told The Scotsman at a pub in the east end of Glasgow on Wednesday morning: “I feel like I am back in high school, to be honest. This sort of tit for tat nonsense.
“Graeme phoned me to give me an assurance he didn’t call me a weasel.
“I think I am now a lion so I will take that.
“I have been called a lot worse in my life so bring it on.
“But I think Anas [Sarwar] needs to get real.
“At the end of the day, we raised issues that really did matter. The fact that he had spoken to me, Graeme Simpson and Malcolm Offord privately about Labour coming to work with Reform after the election.
“He should just be honest with the public and speak about that rather than just trying to hide behind these tit for tats.”
Mr Kerr continued: “I get on well with Graeme [Simpson].
“I don’t think he’ll mind me saying it: I brokered Graeme coming over. I’m one of the people who helped speak to him.
“I get on with Graeme really well. We worked hard together when we were Conservatives. He was a good friend of mine when I was a councillor.
“He’s been a great asset to the party since he came on board.”
Mr Sarwar had told journalists at the STUC conference in Dundee on Monday: “They’re not a serious political organisation - they’re fighting like ferrets in a sack.
“You’ve seen a candidate saying Nigel Farage is deplorable, we know Malcolm Offord cannot stand some of them, and Thomas Kerr cannot stand some of them.
“Graham Simpson, for example, said Malcolm Offord is a useless leader, he’s terrible, and is very apologetic about the racist ads they’re running against me.
“He said Thomas Kerr is a weasel.
“He tried to get my phone number - I refused to give it, because I want nothing to do with these people, I think they’re deplorable and I want them to get hammered.”
It comes after Mr Offord claimed during a TV debate that Mr Sarwar had approached him about “working together” to get rid of the SNP.
Mr Sarwar has denied this and has called Mr Offord a “liar”.
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