Reform UK candidate quits party just days before elections over 'no support'

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Dr Tim Kelly, who is running for East Kilbride and Strathaven in Scotland, has become the ninth Reform candidate to quit or be removed.

In a statement posted on social media, he slammed the party as "infantilising" its candidates, and forcing them "to play the Westminster game".

Kelly will still appear as a Reform UK MSP on the ballot paper, but has announced his intention to run as independent if he is elected.

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Kelly's online statement included an image of a letter sent to Malcolm Offord, leader of Reform UK in Scotland.

The letter praises Farage and Offord as "good people", but criticises the party for the fact that "the moment you step off script to offer actual substance, that support quietly disappears".

Kelly also described candidates being told to "get off social media and churn out leaflets" as an "infantilising instinct" in his letter.

This comes after Reform lost five of its potential MSPs within two weeks of announcing their candidates on March 19.

Last week Reform expelled three candidates after they were exposed to have historical links to the British National Party (BNP).

Since March, Kelly has retweeted posts sceptical of the science behind Covid lockdowns, alongside a campaign advert that he has since deleted.

A spokesperson for Reform UK said: "Tim Kelly has made a personal decision that reflects his own priorities not those of Reform UK.

"Voters deserve clarity and consistency which they won’t get from independents pursuing personal agendas," they added.