Reform's Scottish leader Malcolm Offord accuses Amanda Bland of 'squatting' in a Holyrood seat after she quits the party

Malcolm Offord, Reform's Scottish leader, says Bland — a Central Scotland and Lothians West list MSP — lacks any 'personal mandate' and intends to 'squat' in a Reform seat for four-and-a-half years. A party source describes her as 'difficult to work with' and says she was summoned to a meeting the previous week over high staff turnover in her office. Bland rejects the suggestion that meeting drove her to resign. Her exit leaves Reform with 16 seats, behind both Labour and the SNP.

Offord described losing Bland as 'annoying and irritating' but said it would not 'derail' Reform's plans.

First Minister John Swinney dismissed Nigel Farage's party as 'a ragbag' and said he welcomed it being 'diminished'.

Reform's Graham Simpson retained his seat after defecting, but had only eight months left to serve.