Reform suggested more could soon follow.
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Cllr Kerr told The Herald he had been unhappy with his party since before last July’s general election, but only decided to switch on Tuesday.
He also said he would consider a tilt at a Holyrood in 2026, though he insisted he had not been promised a run at a seat by Reform.
His decision came the day after a Survation poll put both parties in joint third place on 15 MSPs each.
The top two seats on the Tory regional list for Glasgow are likely to be taken by incumbent MSPs Annie Wells and Sandesh Gulhane, which means anyone placed third or lower would almost certainly lose out.
Cllr Kerr — who first joined the Tories when he was 14 — said the decision had not been easy.
“I have been unhappy with the direction of the party since probably before the general election. I took some time to think about where I wanted to go politically.
“Over Christmas, my mindset was that I was leaving politics entirely because I thought the direction of the political parties, Conservative, Labour, Liberal, all of them, was not going in the right direction at all.
“And I thought for my family’s sake more than anything else, I need to take a step back from this.”
However, he said he was attracted by the “particularly positive” message of Nigel Farage.
“I thought I could be very selfish in myself and take a decision that’s good for me, or I can do what I think is best for the people of Shettleston and take a leap of faith.”
Cllr Kerr said he had not been approached by Reform but that it had happened “organically” through a conversation with friends at the party.
The Tory — who backed Meghan Gallacher and Tom Tugendhat in the summer’s leadership contests — said he did not see Reform as “being a far-right party and a right-wing party.”
“I think of them as being centre-right,” he added.
“I don’t see right or left. I see right or wrong,” he continued. “And my politics has always been fundamentally what can I do that is best for the people of Shettleston.”
Asked about standing for Holyrood, Cllr Kerr said he had not yet made a decision.
“If next year, I think actually I could use my voice louder for the people of Shettleston, I’ll make that decision then, but it’ll be through speaking to my fiancé and making sure that it’s best for my two-year-old.
“You know, I can understand why a lot of people in Holyrood get excited because they watch the Thick of It and the West Wing and whatever else. My whole thing is around family and ensuring that I’m doing what’s best for my family and my son.
“And if I think I can give more to the people of Shettleston by standing for Holyrood, I will do it. If I think I’m not, then I won’t. But it’s not been a conversation I’ve had with Reform.”
Cllr Kerr said he thought Russell Findlay was “a nice guy, but the party itself is broken, and the people who are running the party behind the scenes are the issue”.
He said some ex-colleagues had used the f-word in their messages to him after the announcement.
“Some MSPs are angry,” he added. “It’s easy for them. They’re sitting in the big, fancy Holyrood bubble pretending they believe politics is councils that are on the ground.
“What’s very telling is the number of council colleagues who have contacted me to say they’re sorry to see me go and understand why I’m doing it. So there are a lot of Tory councillors who are very angry and pissed off.”
Asked about Cllr Kerr’s departure, Mr Findlay told reporters in Holyrood that he understands “people feel disillusioned and disconnected”.
Asked if the Scottish Tories could see more defections, Mr Findlay said: “I can only control what’s in my gift to do.
“I can’t anticipate what other people may or may not decide to do.”
Asked if he is now concerned one of the Tories’ 31 MSPs could join Reform, he added: “Again… I can’t speculate or control what happens next.
“I can’t control what people may or may not decide to do.”
Glasgow’s only remaining Scottish Tory councillor declined to rule out joining Reform UK.
John Daly was asked twice by The Herald if he was going to follow Cllr Kerr.
Council sources said they believed former Labour councillor Audrey Dempsey could also join Reform.
She also refused to rule out jumping when asked by the Daily Record. She told the paper she was an independent councillor “on this very day”, but said when asked about future intentions, she replied: “Who knows?”
Cllr Dempsey quit Labour after she was suspended by the party when The Herald revealed she had suggested, without evidence, that racist attacks against white children and teachers were on the rise in the city’s schools.
Meanwhile, both the SNP and the Greens on Glasgow City Council called on Cllr Kerr to resign and trigger a by-election.