(Image: Jeff J Mitchell)
An MSP who quit Reform to sit as an independent is set to remain a member of Holyrood's criminal justice committee.
Amanda Bland announced on Monday she was leaving Nigel Farage's party but would continue to represent Central Scotland as an independent MSP.
Her former party have called for her to stand down from the important Scottish Parliament committee which she was appointed to as its justice spokeswoman after the Holyrood election in May - and to quit as an MSP.
But Ms Bland has made clear she wants to stay on the committee and in Parliament.
Her former party has no power to remove her from Holyrood nor from the committee.
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Parliamentary rules state there are two ways for a member to leave a committee either by offering their resignation to the Presiding Officer or via a motion of the committee.
Holyrood's standing orders make clear such a motion would have to be agreed by the Committee before being voted on by the wider Parliament.
However, The Herald understands that there is no mood in the committee to remove Ms Bland who is seen as an effective contributor to its work.
"I've been told she is a very good member of the committee," one Holyrood insider told The Herald.
"She is a former police officer. She brings experience to the committee of being on the frontline which I've been told the committee find very useful.
"She asks incisive questions and often makes good points."
They added: "I don't believe there is any appetite to remove her from the committee."
The insider also pointed to the precedence of John Mason, the former SNP MSP.
Mr Mason had the party whip removed from him in 2024 but kept his place on Holyrood's finance committee as an Independent MSP.
Ms Bland's resignation has left Reform with 16 MSPs, a move which has left the party as Holyrood's third largest down from joint second largest with Labour, which has 17 MSPs.
The Central Scotland MSP did not explain why she had left the party after being elected to Holyrood as one of its MSPs in May.
In a statement on Monday, Ms Bland said: “To confirm today, I have formally resigned from Reform UK Scotland. This is my decision, made after careful deliberation.
“My priorities and principles remain unchanged. I entered politics to champion fairness and common sense, protect women and children, improve public services, support businesses to thrive, and work towards a fairer and more effective criminal justice system.”
She added: “My focus remains firmly on representing the people of Central Scotland and Lothians West and holding the Scottish Government to account in the public interest.
“I will not be making any further statements or giving interviews regarding Reform UK.
“My focus is on my responsibilities as an Independent MSP and on serving the people and communities I represent.”
Reform Scotland leader Malcolm Offord said on Tuesday he was “clearly disappointed” that Ms Bland has quit the party and would “squat” in the seat.
He said: “She feels that she can make more impact standing as an independent.
“The reality is that she came in on the Reform ticket, and 385,000 Scots voted for reform and voted for 17 MSPs.”
He added: “She’s now proposing to squat in a list place won by Reform for four and a half years.
“It just looks to the voting public – I would say there’s a distinction between a constituency MSP where you have won I would say a personal mandate.
“If you’re a list MSP, you’re listed there just on the vote for the party.”
Reform MSP Graham Simpson – who was re-elected in May – defected from the Conservatives to Reform in August last year - rejecting calls from his former party to stand down as an MSP.