Scotland’s former Reform leader quits over link to Facebook group

The ex-leader of Reform UK Scotland has quit the party after it emerged she was the administrator of a Facebook group that featured racist and far-right material.  

Michelle Ballantyne, who was a Scottish Conservative MSP between 2017 and 2021 before defecting to Reform UK and contested the Scottish Conservative leadership election in 2020, has accused the party of a “witch hunt” against her.  

Her involvement in the social media group was first reported by the Sunday Mail, which led to her being accused of bringing the party into disrepute, along with suspension of her party membership pending investigation.  

A spokesperson for the party said Ballantyne’s suspension was “standard practice” as it investigated.  

Previously, Reform UK has said the Facebook group, called ‘Reform UK standing with Scotland’, has “nothing to do with the party”.  

Material from the group involves comments about immigrants and political figures, including Humza Yousaf, Anas Sarwar and Keir Starmer.  

In response to her suspension from the party, Ballantyne posted to the Facebook group that she had cancelled her membership.  

She said: “I no longer recognise the party I helped start in Scotland.” 

Attaching a letter of resignation to Reform’s leadership, she described suggestions of bringing the party into disrepute as “laughable and insulting” and claimed she quit to avoid a “kangaroo court procedure”. 

Ballantyne claims she has not posted on the group or “exercised any admin rights” in months, and said the party used the Sunday Mail’s report “as an excuse to get rid of me and then blacken my name should I ever comment on Reform”. 

A Reform UK Scotland spokesperson said: “As standard practice, we suspend and investigate any members that make or facilitate racist or antisemitic comments. 

“Reform UK upholds the highest standards for our members, candidates and elected officials.”