A senior Scottish Conservative has defected to Reform UK, handing Nigel Farage his first representative in the devolved parliament in Edinburgh.
Graham Simpson, an MSP for Central Scotland and former Tory frontbencher, announced his move on Wednesday at a press conference with Farage in West Lothian. He is the third Conservative to quit the party this year.
Simpson said he joined Reform to create “something new, exciting and lasting” that puts voters before political elites. He pledged to help end the Scottish National Party’s 19 years in power while continuing his push for legislation to let voters remove failing lawmakers.
Farage called the defection evidence of Reform’s rise and confirmed the party will appoint a Scottish leader before next year’s election.
