Reform UK loses its sole MSP, falls to third place in Holyrood
Amanda Bland has left Reform UK and will sit as an independent, reducing the party’s Holyrood representation to 16 seats and dropping it to third place behind Labour.
Amanda Bland, a member of the Scottish Parliament elected on Reform UK’s Central Scotland and Lothians West list, announced her resignation from the party and will now sit as an independent. Reform UK confirmed that she is no longer listed as one of its MSPs on the official parliamentary website. Her exit reduces the party’s total to 16 seats, causing Reform UK to slip from second to third place in the Holyrood rankings, behind Labour.
Reform UK Scotland issued a statement acknowledging her resignation and urging her to step down as a regional MSP so the next candidate on the list can take over. Bland was approached for comment, but no response was recorded at the time of reporting.
Why it matters
The loss reshapes the balance of power in Scotland's parliament, weakening Reform UK's influence.
How this story developed
- Sep 29 Andy Burnham signals possible UK return to the EU after condemning Brexit
- Sep 30 The Prime Minister now says re‑joining the EU is among the options the government will consider.
- Sep 30 Burnham signaled that full EU membership is among the possible routes Labour could evaluate.
- Oct 3 A new poll shows half of British adults now support rejoining the EU.
- Oct 4 Kemi Badenoch opened the Conservative conference by framing the Tories as a common-sense party, unveiling pledges on tighter welfare, prison expansion and free childcare for high-earning families.
- Oct 5 Badenoch pushed to drop the £100,000 childcare tax cap at the conference.
- Oct 6 Announced a cut to employer National Insurance for 21‑ to 24‑year‑olds from 15% to 7.5%.
- Oct 7 Badenoch announced a defence spending target of 3% of GDP.
- Oct 8 Badenoch denounced Reform UK as ethnically exclusive at the conference.
- Oct 8 Burnham announced that the pension triple‑lock will be scrapped after the next general election and its savings will fund a National Care Service.
- Oct 13 YouGov’s latest survey indicates that Reform has reclaimed the third-most-favoured position, surpassing the Conservative Party for the first time since early 2024, though the margin is within the poll’s error range. The poll suggests the Conservatives may have benefited from recent conference coverage, while Labour’s support appears to be fading. In the Commons, MP Burnham affirmed the legitimacy of recent election results but highlighted concerns over foreign actors seeking to influence UK democracy.
- Oct 14 Dean Miller, a Reform UK councillor in Bromley, quit after secret recordings captured him making racist comments and claiming King Charles is Muslim.
- Oct 18 Ipsos poll shows Conservatives have moved ahead of Reform UK in the opposition race.
- Oct 19 The party has suspended activist Jason Powell and opened investigations into several councillors.
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