A Renfrewshire councillor has defected from Scottish Labour to the Reform UK Party.
Councillor Jamie McGuire, who represents Renfrew North and Braehead, now becomes the third member of Renfrewshire Council to join Reform UK.
Earlier this year, fellow councillor John Grey from the same ward, Renfrew North and Braehead, defected from the Scottish Conservatives in April. In addition, another Conservative member, Alec Leishman from Ward 12 – Erskine and Inchinnan, moved to Reform UK in February, a month earlier.
The announcement was made yesterday as Cllr McGuire joined Reform UK to campaign in the Hamilton by-election. He previously worked in the constituency office of Labour MP Alison Taylor.
In response to the move, Cllr Iain McMillan, the Renfrewshire Labour Group Leader, started ‘it came as no real surprise’.
He said: “His politics have shall we say always been a bit fluid and since being elected three years ago as a Labour Councillor, he has at times, struggled to be a team player.”
The Renfrew North and Braehead ward is now represented by two SNP and two Reform UK councillors.
SNP Cllr John Shaw called the situation ‘The great Renfrew North Class of 2022 game of political musical chairs’.
He said: “First the local Tory councillor made a flying leap to Reform. Now our Labour councillor’s followed suit to worship at the feet of Farage. At this rate, Reform’s local Councillor’s WhatsApp group must be getting lively with a Scottish Parliamentary candidate selection process coming up.
“Meanwhile, Cllr Lisa-Marie Hughes and I, your two ever-predictable, tediously consistent SNP councillors, remain. well, SNP councillors.
“No surprise resignations, no political reinventions, no googling your new party’s policies, just that old-fashioned thing called sticking to your principles and the people who voted for you.
“Turns out, loyalty is the new radical. Who’d have thought?”
Councillor Jamie McGuire has been contacted for comment.
Photo: Jamie McGuire is pictured in the cenure of the photograph posted yesterday on Reform UK X.com feed
Photo Credit: Reform UK / X.com