Scottish Tories told to brace for further defections to Nigel Farage's Reform UK
The Scottish Conservatives have been told to brace for further defections to Nigel Farage's Reform UK after a senior councillor jumped ship in Glasgow.
Thomas Kerr, who represents the Shettleston ward and led the Tory group on Glasgow City Council, said Reform “represents the change that our communities desperately need”.
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Hide AdHis defection came just days after Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tory leader, warned voting Reform in Scotland will only benefit the SNP. A recent poll put Mr Farage’s party on course to pick up as many as 15 seats in Holyrood.


Mr Farage said he was “delighted” to welcome Mr Kerr, adding: “We look forward to the Scottish parliamentary elections with increasing anticipation.”
A Reform source told The Scotsman conversations are ongoing with other councillors across Scotland about defecting. It is understood another Tory councillor is poised to announce their defection next week.
Mr Kerr, who was first elected to the council as a 20-year-old in 2017, said he “would not be surprised” if others follow. “I think we could see an opening of the door for other people to come along,” he told The Scotsman.
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Hide AdHe added: “I would not be surprised if we see some [Tory] MSPs move.”
Mr Findlay called the defection “very disappointing”, but added: “My focus remains on holding this completely rotten SNP Government to account.”
He said he understood people felt “disillusioned and disconnected” but his job is to “show the people of Scotland that we’re on their side and that we understand why people are so disillusioned with politics”.
Mr Findlay refused to be drawn on whether he had spoken to other Tory politicians considering defection. “Any conversations I’ve had with colleagues I believe ought to remain private,” he told journalists.
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Hide AdHe added: “I can’t control what people may or may not decide to do, but this is hypothetical. My job is to set out why we are confident in the message that we have and the job that we’ve got to do.”
Audrey Dempsey, an independent councillor in Glasgow who previously quit Labour, refused to rule out joining Mr Farage’s party. She told the Daily Record: “You can’t rule anything out in politics.”
Reform said Mr Kerr’s defection was a “major victory” for the party, insisting he “brings not only his deep connection to the Shettleston community, but also a personal and compelling story of overcoming adversity”.
Mr Kerr joined the Tories at the age of 14 and became leader of the Glasgow City Council group in 2019. He was one of only two Tory councillors in the city following the last local election.
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Hide AdHe previously stood for the party in both Holyrood and Westminster elections - including the Rutherglen by-election in 2023, in which he came a distant third - and has been critical of Reform in the past.
Ahead of the general election in July, he said Reform had candidates “who are anti-monarchy, pro-independence and apologists for Vladimir Putin”, adding: “Be careful what you vote for, Scotland.”
Mr Kerr told The Scotsman the party had since “professionalised”. He also dismissed as “nonsense” a suggestion from a Tory source that he had made the switch in the hope of being elected to the Scottish Parliament.
He said he had not spoken to Reform about standing for Holyrood.
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Hide AdThe councillor said he had been in talks with Mr Farage’s party about defecting over the past week or so, having grown disillusioned with the Conservatives.
In a statement, he said: "Joining Reform UK is a significant moment for me. My personal experiences with addiction, having lost my father to it and watched my mother recover, have deeply shaped my vision for the future.
“I am determined to ensure that every person in Scotland who is struggling with addiction has access to the recovery services they need to rebuild their lives.
“Reform UK represents the change that our communities desperately need, and I am excited to continue working for Shettleston as part of this new and dynamic party."
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Hide AdMr Kerr joins five other Reform councillors in Scotland, with three in Aberdeenshire and two in North Ayrshire.
Reform UK Scotland organiser Martyn Greene said: "It is especially rewarding to welcome someone as passionate and driven as Thomas to Reform.
“His commitment to his community is well known, and his personal journey with addiction recovery gives him a unique understanding of the challenges facing many families across Scotland.
“We are confident that his experience will help shape a future where recovery is at the heart of our policies."
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Hide AdScottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: “Even by his own admission, Russell Findlay has lost control of his party.
“After 14 years of incompetence and sleaze in government it’s no wonder the Tories are fleeing their sinking ship – but Reform doesn’t have anything to offer the people of Scotland.
“It’s clear only Scottish Labour can put an end to SNP failure and deliver the new direction Scotland so badly needs.”
A poll on Wednesday put the Tories and Reform neck and neck at Holyrood. The Survation poll for the Holyrood Sources podcast and True North Advisors put both parties in joint third place on 15 seats each.
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Hide AdThe survey put the SNP on 53 seats, ahead of second-placed Labour on 24, while the Liberal Democrats were on 12 and the Greens 10.
Reform will face its first major test in Scotland at the next Holyrood election in 2026.
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