A senior Tory MSP has been accused of wanting to “bail” out of Holyrood and return to Westminster after just two years in the job.
Stephen Kerr said he is “considering" going for the Conservative selection in the new North Tayside seat.
He said he was “from there” and joked: “Not entirely a carpet bagger.”
But Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said: “Nothing can say more about the disarray in the Scottish Tory MSP group than Stephen Kerr trying to bail out to Westminster.
“Ditching Scotland’s parliament to return to the leather seats of the Palace of Westminster says it all about the Tory mentality.
“Unfortunately for him, all the polls suggest that the Scottish people will pass a deservedly harsh verdict on the Tories at the ballot box.”
Kerr, born in Dundee, became the Tory MP for Stirling in 2017 before getting turfed out by the voters two years later.
He became a Central Scotland MSP in 2021 and has carved out a reputation as being a vocal opponent of the SNP at Holyrood, with one Parliament source describing him as a “loudmouth”.
But he is mulling over a Holyrood exit as he is eyeing the North Tayside seat drawn up by the Boundary Commission for Scotland.
In a brief conversation with the Record, he said of the looming selection battle for the seat: “Considering it, yes. Because I come from there you see.”
He added: "I loved being an MP. I had the enormous privilege of being Stirling's MP for two and a half years.
“Scotland needs strong voices at Westminster, just as it needs strong voices here.”
He said he would stand down as an MSP straight away if elected to Westminster again.
Scottish Labour pushed through restrictions that made it hard for MSPs to run for Westminster.
The SNP also put up obstacles to MPs standing for the 2021 Holyrood election.
SNP MP Pete Wishart said: "Stephen Kerr is showing just how little respect he and the rest of the Tories have for Scotland's parliament that he wants to scuttle off back to Westminster at the first opportunity.
"Stephen Kerr and the rest of the Tories do not want to sit in the Scottish Parliament as they would rather it wasn't there at all. They are trashing devolution at every opportunity and trying to draw back as much power to Westminster as they can.
"Already the people of Perthshire have rejected the Tories and when it comes to the General Election I would relish the opportunity to keep the Tories out once again."
Green MSP Maggie Chapman said: "Few tears will be shed in Holyrood over this news. Westminster is very welcome to him. Stephen Kerr must have an obsession with opposition, as, thankfully, all of the polls show that is exactly where the Tories are heading."
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