Michelle Ballantyne resigns from Scottish Conservatives

Michelle Ballantyne has resigned from the Scottish Conservatives and will sit as an independent MSP for the rest of the parliamentary term.

Citing differences in policy and principles with the party under Douglas Ross, she said she felt she was no longer “a good fit” for the party.

She said: “It is with great sadness that I have decided to resign today from the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.

“That said, I recognise and respect the work Douglas, Ruth, and their team are putting in to re-shape the future of the Scottish Conservatives and the Party’s position going forward.

"However, as Douglas indicated in his address to our party conference, there are differences arising for some, myself included, in the Party’s positioning on policy and, indeed, its principles.

“Sadly, for me, this means I no longer feel that the Party and I are a good fit.”

Ballantyne became an MSP for South Scotland in 2017, after Rachael Hamilton resigned her list seat to contest the Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire constituency.

She entered the Tory leadership contest earlier this year but lost to Jackson Carlaw by 4,917 votes to 1,581. When Carlaw resigned six months later, Ballantyne told BBC’s The Nine that she was “happy he’s gone” but suspected he was “pushed”.

She added: “It is for the Scottish Conservative membership to choose their leader. Whether they do that by a coronation or whether they do it by a contest, we cannot have a situation where a plan is made without any of us having a say in it.”

In a joint statement on her resignation, Ross and Holyrood group leader Ruth Davidson said: “We would both like to thank Michelle for her service to the Scottish Conservatives down the years.

“As well as her time on Scottish Borders Council and in the Parliament, she has also been an active member of the voluntary party. We wish her well for the future.”