EUAN McCOLM: As the mysterious case of Reform’s Amanda Bland proves, upstart parties are fragile and it doesn’t take long for things to fall apart…

Reform UK Scotland’s first notable internal break since the Holyrood election came when MSP Amanda Bland resigned from the party and said she would sit as an independent. The article argues that the episode illustrates how rapidly growing parties can struggle to maintain unity and organisational readiness, potentially undermining their promise to change politics.

The reasons for Bland’s departure remain unclear. Reform sources reportedly described her as difficult to work with, and she had been asked to discuss staff turnover in her office, but she told the BBC the meeting was not behind her resignation. Reform called on her to give up her seat, though the article says she is unlikely to do so; it places the dispute in the context of Reform’s 17 Holyrood seats and draws parallels with the rapid growth of parties such as the SNP and Ukip.