Reform's Scottish leader Malcolm Offord accuses Amanda Bland of 'squatting' for four-and-a-half years in the Holyrood list seat Reform won

A Reform source claims Amanda Bland was 'difficult to work with' and had been summoned last week over high staff turnover in her office. Bland denies that meeting prompted her exit. Her move to sit as an independent drops Reform to 16 MSPs, behind Labour and the SNP. Malcolm Offord insisted 385,000 Scots voted Reform, not for her personally.

Offord called the loss 'annoying and irritating' but vowed Reform will stay 'loud and proud'.

First Minister John Swinney branded Nigel Farage's party 'a ragbag' and welcomed its diminished status.

Offord said Graham Simpson's defection differed because he had only eight months left.