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Jeremy Balfour in the Scottish Parliamentary Elections at Ingliston Highland Centre, Edinburgh, May 8, 2021
JEREMY BALFOUR resigned from the Scottish Conservatives today, saying the party has “fallen into the trap of reactionary politics.”
The Lothian MSP, who has represented the region since 2016, will sit as an independent until the Holyrood election next year.
In his resignation letter to Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay, Mr Balfour said: “I no longer feel that the party has a positive platform to offer the people of Scotland.”
He criticised the leadership for showing little interest in “genuine policy innovation,” particularly in social justice and social security.
Decisions, he said, were increasingly made by “advisers who lack experience, while senior MSP colleagues are ignored.”
“I fear that the Scottish Conservatives have fallen into the trap of reactionary politics … dictated by what other parties are saying and cheap headlines,” he said.
He is the second Tory MSP to quit in recent months, following Jamie Greene’s move to the Liberal Democrats in April.
A Scottish Conservative spokesperson said the party remained committed to “common-sense Conservative values.”
SNP MSP George Adam said the party has “completely fallen apart,” adding: “It’s clear the Tories are in freefall in Scotland as we approach the 2026 election.”
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