The leader of Reform UK in Scotland has accused an MSP of “squatting” in a Holyrood seat won by the party. Malcolm Offord said Amanda Bland did not have a “personal mandate” to stay in the Scottish Parliament after she resigned from Reform to sit as an independent. Bland, who was elected as a list MSP for Central Scotland and Lothians West in May’s, denied claims she had stood down after being called to a meeting about high turnover among her office staff. Offord said he was “disappointed” by her decision but Reform “wanted people who could work as a team”.
Bland’s departure relegates the party to third-largest in the Holyrood chamber, behind the SNP and Labour. Offord told BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast he had not spoken to Bland since she announced her departure from the party. Reform MSP quits party to sit as independent Conservative MSP Graham Simpson defects to Reform Reform MSP Graham Simpson did not resign when he defected from the Scottish Conservatives in August 2025. Offord said that situation was different as Simpson only had eight months of his term left before May’s election, while Bland is just a few months into her five-year tenure.
“Amanda’s got her own reasons and, clearly, I’m disappointed. But she feels she can make more impact standing as an independent,” he said. “She is now proposing to squat in a list place won by Reform for four-and-a-half years.” He added: “It just looks to the voting public like there is a distinction between a constituency, where I would say you have won a personal mandate. If you are a list MSP, you are there just on the vote for the party.” A Reform source told BBC Scotland Bland’s departure came amid claims she was “difficult to work with”.
She had allegedly been called to a meeting last week to discuss high staff turnover within her parliamentary office, but Bland denied her resignation came as a consequence of that. In a statement, Bland said her “principles and priorities remain unchanged” and that she believed she could best pursue her goals of “holding the Scottish government to account” as an independent MSP. Under Holyrood’s rules, any list MSP who resigns their seat is replaced by their party’s next candidate at the last election. As Bland is remaining as the Scottish Parliament’s sole independent, Reform now have 16 MSPs, one behind Labour’s 17.
That means they will not receive joint billing as the main opposition during first minister’s questions. Offord described Reform’s slip into third place as “irritating” but said it would not “derail” their objectives. He said: “We want people who are talented and bright and Amanda is talented and bright, but we also want people who are prepared to work as a team. “One of the great things we’re doing at Reform is building a team.” Offord said some in his party had been “surprised” by what he called the “poisonous atmosphere” at the Scottish Parliament.
Prior to their election only former Conservative MSP Simpson had previous Holyrood experience. Offord claimed other parties were “resentful” of Reform’s presence in the chamber. The party attracted widespread condemnation for tabling a debate about banning face-coverings, including burkas, from public places. “We’ve been taken by surprise frankly, in Holyrood, by the amount of vitriol,” he told the programme.
“It’s a pretty poisonous atmosphere, quite a difficult atmosphere to be in. The other parties are very resentful of Reform being there. “For the Reform folk coming in, some of them have been taken by surprise by the amount of unpleasantness around and some of have found it more difficult than others.”
Leave a Reply