A SCOTTISH Labour councillor has defected to Reform UK, the party have said.
Reform UK announced the defection while Nigel Farage was due to arrive for a campaign visit to Hamilton, where a crucial Holyrood by-election is taking place on Thursday.
Jamie McGuire is the first councillor to defect from Scottish Labour to Reform UK.
McGuire is a councillor for Renfrew North and Braehead on Renfrewshire council.
Reform UK tweeted: "We are delighted to welcome former Scottish Labour Councillor @JamieMcGuire__"
Duncan Massey, a councillor at Aberdeen City Council, said only Reform UK could "bring the change" that is needed in Scotland.
McGuire's defection brings the total number of Reform UK councillors in Scotland to 14.
Prior to Monday, the last councillor to defect to Reform UK was former Tory councillor Dominic Lonchay (Aberdeenshire), while Glasgow's Thomas Kerr defected from the Tories in January.
The full list of Reform UK councillors in Scotland is:
- Duncan Massey (Aberdeen City)
- Laurie Carnie (Aberdeenshire)
- John Crawley (Aberdeenshire)
- Mark Findlater (Aberdeenshire)
- Dominic Lonchay (Aberdeenshire)
- Claire Mackie Brown (Falkirk)
- Thomas Kerr (Glasgow)
- Stewart Ferguson (North Ayrshire)
- Matthew McLean (North Ayrshire)
- John Gray (Renfrewshire)
- Alec Leishman (Renfrewshire)
- Jamie McGuire (Renfrewshire)
- Poppy Corbett (South Lanarkshire)
- Ross Lambie (South Lanarkshire)
Commenting, the SNP's candidate for the upcoming Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, Katy Loudon, said: "This is beyond embarrassing for the Labour Party.
"Their candidate in this by-election is invisible - running scared of tonight's debate - and now one of their own Councillors is jumping ship.
"They know they've lost and they're panicking.
"The contest in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse is now a two horse race between the SNP and Reform UK. This Thursday, only a vote for the SNP will stop Farage."
Meanwhile, Scottish Labour MSP Monica Lennon said: "A shameful defection to the far-right motivated by personal ambition.
"Reform UK supporters are polluting Hamilton town centre today with their appalling racism, lies and hate.
"Reform and Farage won't win here."
