Reform UK welcomes another defector

Reform UK has welcomed another defector on Wednesday, the Conservative member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) Graham Simpson.

Speaking with Nigel Farage at an event in Livingston, Scotland Simpson said his decision to join Reform was “not easy.”

He said, “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.”

He said that he believes Reform will make gains in Scotland next year in the Scottish elections.

“The election next year here in Scotland is going to see a very different parliament from the one we have now.”

Simpson continued, “It’s fair to say that some of you won’t be surprised to see me here, given that the Scottish Tories have been touting my name as a potential defector for months now.

“So today, I’m giving them what they want, but perhaps not for the reasons that they think.

“Leaving the party that I first joined when I was 15 is an enormous wrench, and I’ve been through a lot of soul searching in the past few weeks.”

The former Tory MSP 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.”

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.”