Overview
- Amanda Bland resigned the Reform UK whip and notified presiding officer Kenneth Gibson on Monday, and she will sit in Holyrood as an independent MSP.
- Bland represents Central Scotland and Lothians West, and her move reduces Reform from 17 to 16 seats while making Scottish Labour the second-largest party at Holyrood.
- Reform has publicly urged Bland to resign her regional list seat so the next candidate on the party list can take the vacancy under Scotland’s regional replacement rules.
- The parliamentary bureau will be notified this week to assess procedural effects, including party question rights and the order of questioning at First Minister’s Questions.
- The resignation deepens pressure on Reform’s cohesion and changes opposition dynamics at Holyrood, with Labour and other parties publicly criticising the party and voters watching how Bland will represent local constituents.