Lothian Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour resigns from party with attack on leadership

He accused the leadership of having "little interest in genuine policy innovation" and preferring "easy headlines".

And he claimed decisions were being made by advisers who lacked experience, while senior MSPs were ignored.

Lothian Conservative MSP Jeremy Balfour has quit the party

He said he got on well with Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay as an individual. "I just think he has not quite yet grasped what the issues are or is willing to put forward a vision which is truly Conservative."

Mr Balfour, who was the party's social justice spokesman, said: "The social security budget is growing and I've been trying to look at ways to get the right benefits to the people who need it, but that kind of engagement they don't want - they simply want to go for 'We will cut social security' without having any ideas what that would look like."

Mr Balfour was a Conservative councillor in Edinburgh for a decade and was elected as a Lothian list MSP in 2016, winning re-election in 2021.

He will sit as an independent until the next Scottish Parliament elections and said he had not yet decided whether to stand again or not. He said he had not thought of joining any other party and ruled out a move to Reform.

But he told the Evening News: "I'm not sure any of the main parties have real policies which would benefit Edinburgh or the Lothians. I think the Lothians have been ignored often, so we need a strong voice for the Lothians."

And Mr Balfour, who has lived with disabilities from birth, added: "We also need a strong voice for older people and people with disabilities because I think there is a real danger these individuals are going to face big cuts that will have a real impact on their lives."

In his resignation letter, Mr Balfour said he had not made his decision lightly, but added: "As I have watched the party drift away from the principles that led me to join, I believe that I have no choice."

In a radio interview, he said: “I am a natural Conservative, I still believe in Conservative principles. It’s the party that's moved, not me.

“I've been loyal to the party through many different situations, this has not been a easy decision to come to, but at some point you've got to stand for what you believe are Conservative principles, for what you believe is best for the people of Lothian and what's best for older people and disabled people.

“I don't think the party is offering that any more - and I think quite a number of my colleagues would be sympathetic to what I'm saying.

“I want to see a strong Conservative party across the UK succeed - the trouble is at the moment here in Scotland we don't have the policies or the ideology to be able to bring that forward.”

Jeremy Balfour’s resignation letter in full

Dear Russell,

It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you that I will be resigning from the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party with immediate effect. It is my intention to continue to represent my constituents in the Lothian Region for the remainder of this parliamentary session as an independent MSP.

This is not a decision that I have taken lightly, nor is it one that I am happy to make. I have been a member of the Scottish Conservatives since I was a young man, and the Party has had a profound impact on my life, as a member, a councillor, and an MSP.

However, I no longer feel that the Party has a positive platform to offer the people of Scotland. I have found that there is little interest from the leadership in genuine policy innovation, particularly across the Social Justice and Social Security portfolio. Increasingly, decisions seem to be made by advisors who lack experience, while senior MSP colleagues are ignored.

The Conservatives have always believed in helping the most vulnerable in our communities and have been committed to breaking down barriers that hold them back from building a successful life. I still believe strongly in this mission, but I fear that the Scottish Conservatives have abandoned the effort.

Social Security in Scotland is reaching a breaking point, and I have tried time and again to convince leadership that this is an issue that we need to deal with seriously. My efforts, however, have been unsuccessful.

Scotland is facing a crunch point at which time our system of benefits will become impossible to afford. Our commitment to universal payments across portfolios, which often benefit those who don't need it, instead of targeted support for the most vulnerable will only feed the already spiralling budget predicament.

It will be a serious undertaking to balance the books while maintaining our obligation to tackle poverty and support vulnerable group in our communities. I do not believe that the Party is interested in tackling this issue beyond blind slashing of budgets which will put those in most need at highest risk.

I have also been seriously disappointed with the lack of ambition in regard to a policy offering for the Central Belt and the Lothian Region. There have been numerous efforts to get leadership to produce policies that focus on urban areas, but they have been in vain as the party continues to focus on rural areas at the expense of our cities.

More broadly, 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.

I take no pleasure in leaving my political home after over 3 decades. But as I have watched the Party drift away from the principles that led me to join, I believe that I have no choice. I do hold out hope that it will find its way back to be the Party that I once proudly represented, but unfortunately it might take some harsh electoral results to force the issue.

Again, I plan to continue to represent my constituents faithfully for the remained of this term, engaging productively on committees with all parties, and bringing forward constructive amendments to a number of upcoming bills.

Yours, Jeremy.