Richard Tice was humiliated today when he was unable to give the full names of the latest two councillors to defect to Reform UK.

Tice called journalists from across Scotland to announce the Tory defections in a press conference outside a Glasgow chip shop.

But, as he was making the declaration, Tice seemed to forget it was Renfrewshire councillor John Gray and South Lanarkshire councillor Ross Lambie who he was welcoming to his party.

According to The National, the MP for Boston and Skegness initially refused to say even their names and ducked inside the chip shop.

When he did eventually come outside to speak to the press, Tice said: “I’ve got John and Ross, and they’re from...”

The Scottish Daily Mail’s deputy political editor, Tom Gordon, cut in and said: “What are their surnames, John and Ross?”

Tice replied: “Are you going to challenge me on everything or are you going to ask a policy question?”

Gordon said: “I’ll challenge you on that.”

Reform UK’s deputy leader deflected and said: “I’m answering policy questions about how we make people better off.”

But Gordon persisted: “My question, my choice of question, to you, is what are their full names, and what council are they from?”

“John and Ross,” the MP replied.

“What councils are they from?” The journalist asked.

Tice turned away from Gordon and asked the crowd: “Next question. Who’s next?”

Gordon asked: “You cannot tell me who your council defectors are, why not?

“Do you know anything about Scottish politics? You can’t even name your own members up here?”

The Reform UK deputy said his party has 10,000 Scottish members, and he does not know them all, adding: “What we have got is policies that will make people better off in Scotland.”

He then posed for photos with the defectors whose names he did not know.

Reform UK has been celebrating the number of politicians leaving the Tories and Labour to join their party, and has even set up a dedicated “defections unit”.

It has also promised to form the next government after a surge in the opinion polls.