AMANDA BLAND QUITS REFORM SCOTLAND

Amanda Bland has quit Reform Scotland and will sit as an independent MSP, the Scottish Parliament and Reform said. Bland wrote to the Presiding Officer on 19 October to say the change would take effect immediately, according to a parliamentary spokesperson. Her departure leaves Reform with 16 MSPs at Holyrood. Scottish Labour is now the parliament’s second-largest party, while Reform has moved into third place.

Bland won a regional list seat in May for Central Scotland and Lothians West. She had served as Reform’s justice spokeswoman at Holyrood. The Scottish Parliament website now lists her as an independent member. Bland had not commented publicly on her resignation when Reform issued its statement.

Reform called on Bland to leave Holyrood so the next Reform candidate on the regional list could take her seat. “It is incumbent on her to resign as a regional MSP for Central Scotland and Lothians West and allow her constituents to be represented by the next Reform candidate on that list,” a party spokesperson said. The spokesperson said Reform’s MSPs had supported one another “at every step of the way”. The party also urged Bland to reflect on her reasons for leaving its parliamentary team.