Glenn Campbell
BBC Scotland political editor
PA Media
Jeremy Balfour has been MSP for Lothian since 2016
Scottish Conservative MSP Jeremy Balfour has quit the party saying it has “fallen into the trap of reactionary politics” under Russell Findlay’s leadership.
Balfour, who was the Tory spokesperson on social justice, said he would sit as an independent until the Holyrood election in May.
In his resignation letter, the Lothians MSP said: “Increasingly, decisions seem to be made by advisers who lack experience, while senior MSP colleagues are ignored.”
He is the second MSP to leave the party since the Tories lost power at Westminster and Findlay became Scottish leader.
Findlay has promised to offer tax and spending cuts at the 2026 Holyrood election, saying he would “wield a claymore” on wasteful spending if elected.
Balfour said he did not believe the party was interested in tackling welfare reform “beyond blind slashing of budgets” which he said “will put those in most need at highest risk”.
‘Chasing cheap headlines’
In his resignation letter, seen by BBC Scotland News, the MSP also accused the party of focusing on rural areas “at the expense of our cities”.
He said: “I fear that the Scottish Conservatives have fallen into the trap of reactionary politics, where a positive, proactive agenda for real change has been rejected in favour of allowing policies to be dictated by what other parties are saying and chasing cheap headlines.”
Balfour said he felt he had “no choice” but to cut ties with the party he had “once proudly represented”, adding: “But unfortunately it might take some harsh electoral results to force the issue.”
He added: “I no longer feel that the party has a positive platform to offer the people of Scotland.”
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Russell Findlay was elected leader of the Scottish Conservative in September last year
Balfour, who had been a member of the part for about 40 years, said the Conservatives had “lost their way” in Scotland.
He said vulnerable and disabled people were “not going to be taken seriously” under newly written policies.
He told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “I think too many people are coming in, are drafting policies who don’t really understand the issues and senior colleagues are being ignored.
“We know that social security budget needs to be looked at, but the leadership has just taken the view of ‘let’s just cut benefits’ without looking at what those benefits do, how they work, what effect that will have on employment, what effect it will have on individuals.
“It was a very easy headline to be grabbed, But the work below that has not been done and the work that I and others have done, has just been ignored.”
Balfour said he was yet to decide whether to stand as an independent in next year’s Scottish Parliament elections but ruled out representing Reform in the vote.
He said some of his colleagues would be “sympathetic” to his decision and accused Findlay of “not grasping” the Scottish Conservative vision.
“It’s the Conservatives who have moved, not me,” he told the programme.
“I get on very well with Russell, I just think he has not quite yet grasped what the issues are and is willing to put forward a vision that is truly Conservative.”
The MSP was first elected on the Lothian regional list in 2016.
He has had several stints as a Conservative deputy spokesperson, including on equalities, housing and welfare.
However, Balfour has remained on the backbenches since Findlay became party leader in September last year.
He backed former deputy leader Meghan Gallacher in the leadership contest.
Before being elected to Holyrood, Balfour worked as a solicitor and Baptist minister.
Born with no left arm and a right arm that ends at the elbow, he has been vocal proponent for disabled rights.
Earlier this year he opposed assisted dying legislation, citing concerns for disabled people as well as his Christian faith.
Balfour’s resignation leaves the Scottish Conservatives with 29 MSPs.
It comes after West of Scotland MSP Jamie Greene defected from the Tories to the Liberal Democrats.
He accused his former party of becoming “Trump-esque in both style and substance”.
The Conservatives have also seen several councillors defect to Reform, with polls suggesting Nigel Farage’s party could make an electoral breakthrough at next year’s Holyrood election.
The Scottish Conservatives have been contacted for comment.
Under huge pressure
Russell Findlay took over as Scottish Conservative leader after a fractious internal contest that left some lasting divisions.
Having lost power at Westminster, opinion polls suggest the Tories are under huge pressure ahead of next year’s Holyrood election.
That was clearly illustrated in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election where they slipped into fourth place behind Reform UK.
That challenge from the political right seems to have impacted how Findlay is positioning his party.
He has prioritised plans to cut what he considers wasteful public spending and to ease the transition to net zero carbon emissions.
What he has not done is take all of his Holyrood colleagues with him and in losing MSPs he risks losing some authority too.