Nigel Farage has announced another high-profile defection to his party from the Conservatives.
Graham Simpson, who was first elected as a Tory Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) in 2016, confirmed that he was joining Reform UK on Wednesday.
He becomes Reform’s first MSP and is the latest in a long line of Tories who have joined Mr Farage as his party leads opinions polls.
Speaking at a press conference in Broxburn, West Lothian, Mr Simpson said: "I watched Reform with interest and I see the opportunity to help create something fresh here in Scotland, and it's clear that the voters agree in increasing numbers.
"But just because a party is becoming popular isn't a reason to join it, keeping your job in Parliament isn't a good enough reason either."
READ MORE: Reform UK to be Scotland’s second largest party at Holyrood, poll suggests
He added: "Too many people feel let down and ignored, they feel the system is against them, that the traditional parties don't even care about them.
"Save for some fine individual MSPs across parties, the political class is not serving the people well.
“Failure is accepted and change takes far too long."
Mr Simpson said will not step down from the Central Scotland regional list at Holyrood following his defection from the Tories.
He added that he still has work to do as an MSP, including a members' Bill which would create a mechanism for sacking MSPs.
Mr Simpson also vowed to seek to "develop a policy suite" which goes beyond Reform's two key issues in Scotland of net zero and immigration.
In an open call to his former colleagues in the Tory party, Mr Simpson said his door will be open to those with "great ideas for Scotland".
"I've no doubt that, initially, my announcement today will spark anger, disappointment and probably some sheer nastiness," he said.
"I don't like that aspect of politics and I'm not looking forward to it, but there are many ex-colleagues who will also understand.
"I say to those who have great ideas for Scotland and who may have felt ignored: talk to me, you will find my door - wherever I am put in Parliament next week - open and receptive to the kind of fresh thinking that we need in politics."
Several high profile politicians have now defected to Reform.
These include Sir Jake Berry, former Chair of the Tory Party and long-time MP, who joined Mr Farage’s party last month citing them the “true opposition.”
MP for Ashfield Lee Anderson defected in March 2024. Andrea Jenkyns, is a former Tory MP and now Reform’s Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire.
In London, Westminster councillor Laila Cunningham, said she is quitting the Conservatives earlier this year as she is “tired of defending failure”.
She branded a “dereliction of duty” that there are not more police officers in the capital to fight crime.
Former Tory leader of Barnet Council Dan Thomas followed her to Mr Farage’s party in June.
Mr Farage on Wednesday insisted that Reform was not becoming the Tory party “2.0”.
He said: "We do need some experience. In the county councils in England that we won, where we're doing best is when we've got some people that actually have been on those councils and been in cabinet, who know the ropes. So we do need some people to help us.
"I'm absolutely not going to allow this to become the Tory Party 2.0, and I'm not going to be a vehicle for those just to rescue their careers in Parliament... We will be very selective about who comes."
