Blow to Scottish Labour as councillor defects to Reform UK

A Scottish Labour councillor has been announced as the latest defection to Reform UK.

The news marks the first elected Scottish Labour member to switch to Nigel Farage's party and comes as the parties continue to battle for votes in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse byelection.

In a social media post, Reform UK said it was "delighted" to welcome Jamie McGuire to its ranks.

The Renfrewshire councillor was a rising star in Scottish Labour and has been pictured with figureheads from Anas Sarwar to Jeremy Corbyn.

Elected in 2022 at the age of 22, he is a former chair of the Glasgow University Labour Club and was secretary of both the Scottish Labour Students and Scottish Young Labour.

He was also a member of the Labour Parliamentary Research Academy and served as a parliamentary researcher for Alison Taylor, the MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North.

But McGuire's loyalty to Labour has been under question in recent weeks after he ditched his trademark red tie for light blue accessories.

Even before Reform UK told the press a defection from Labour was imminent, there was speculation that McGuire would make the switch.

In doing so, he has reduced the local Labour group's numbers from 13 to 12 and given Reform its third councillor.

Of the others in the trio, one – John Gray – represents the same ward as McGuire, while the other – Alec Leishman – is in neighbouring Erskine and Inchinnan.

Both were elected on a Scottish Conservatives ticket.

Earlier in the day it was announced that Aberdeen councillor Duncan Massey had left the Tories for Reform, taking the latter party's Scottish total to 13.

Farage's double-stop visit to the north east and South Lanarkshire marks his first trip to Scotland since 2019.

McGuire, Labour and Reform have been contacted for comment.

Responding to the news, Katy Loudon, the SNP's candidate in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, called McGuire's move "beyond embarrassing for the Labour Party", saying the by-election contest "is now a two-horse race between the SNP and Reform UK".

Scottish Labour did not comment directly on McGuire's move, but, referencing Farage's prediction that Reform will not win in Hamilton, said: "The biggest annoucement Nigel Farage made today was him admitting that Reform cannot win this by-election and his revealing his plans to slash funding for Scotland's NHS."

The spokesperson added: "It's clear the SNP does not deserve to win this by-election and only Scottish Labour can beat them."