Scottish Tory politician branded a 'fascist' and 'racist' for switching to Reform

Thomas Kerr, who led the Conservative group on Glasgow city council, said his decision last month had cost him friendships.

In an interview with Holyrood magazine, Mr Kerr denied claims he only joined Reform because he had been promised the top spot on its regional list for the Scottish Parliament elections.

A number of polls have suggested Nigel Farage's party could pick up seats in the 2026 Holyrood election.

Mr Kerr, who was first elected as a councillor in 2017 aged just 20, said he had not decided whether to run for Holyrood in 2026 and the reports saying otherwise had been "hurtful".

A Scottish Conservative source had told the media: "He's been promised top of the Glasgow list by Reform, which he wouldn't have got near in our party."

Mr Kerr said: "If I were to sit here and say to a journalist that I didn't want to be an MSP, I'd be lying. I joined the party young, I have ambitions to go to Holyrood for this area.

"It's no secret I have ambitions, but the idea that I did this because I was promised something is not true."

The Glasgow councillor said he decided to leave the Conservatives as he felt the party was letting down working-class people.

He said he had been "branded everything under the sun, from a fascist to a racist" since the announcement last month.

Mr Kerr added: "The day I defected I went to the branch meeting in Pollokshields, and there were 60 people there; the Tory branch meetings were six people and a dog.

"There were young men and women, all different ethnicities, and when you speak to them, they are not all Tory and Labour defectors.

"A lot of them are people who have never been involved politically."

A poll published last month had showed Mr Farage’s party on course to pick up as many as 15 seats in Holyrood next year.

Renfrewshire councillor Alec Leishman last week became the party’s sixth councillor north of the Border, after also defecting from the Conservatives.

Scottish Tories leader Russell Findlay had described Mr Kerr’s defection as “very disappointing” at the time. But Mr Findlay added: “My focus remains on holding this completely rotten SNP Government to account … 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.”

Reform UK Scotland organiser Martyn Greene had said of Mr Kerr’s decision: "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."