A row has broken out over a Reform UK councillor’s decision to evict a tenant from one of his flats.

The Daily Record, in an exclusive, has reported that a mother and her two sons have been evicted by David McLennan, a Reform UK member of West Lothian local authority.

The eviction took place in 2021 but has become a political issue this week following the newspaper’s article.

McLennan, who was elected only last month in a by-election, told the Record: “I served Notice on the tenant as I wanted to sell the house. She came to me and said the only way she could get a Council house was if she were evicted.

“I agreed to go down the route of her staying there until the First Tier Tribunal decided the case and maintained friendly communication with her during the time it took the case to be determined by the First Tier Tribunal, at which point eviction was granted.

“The tenant was then able to present herself and her son as homeless and was rehoused by the council.”

A Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament, Mark Griffin, is quoted by the paper as saying: “By evicting a mum and her kids David McLennan has shown us all the kind of person he is. While it is perfectly legitimate to be a landlord, this eviction is bound to raise some eyebrows.

“David McLennan’s man of the people façade has been blown to pieces and it’s clearer than ever that Reform have no answers to the challenges Scotland faces.”

And Barbara Welsh, chair of the Living Rent activist group, is quoted as saying: “Let’s be clear, McLennan’s belief in the fundamental right of landlords to regain possession of their property means he believes in kicking people out of their homes. He did not need to evict his tenants. He could have easily sold the property with the tenants inside.”

You can read the full article here: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/reform-uk-councillor-branded-heartless-36504219