Reform MSPs walk out of parliament in protest against independence debate

Offord told MSPs: “This debate is an insult to the Scottish electorate who expect politicians to deal with serious issues in their communities.”

Announcing that he would withdraw his amendment and leave the chamber, Offord said: “We did not come into this parliament to waste our time on vanity projects.”

Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer quipped that he hoped a nearby pub had extra staff on this afternoon, adding: “They may be busy.”

Presiding Officer Kenneth Gibson described Reform’s “antics” as “a gross discourtesy to all members of the chamber”.

Earlier, Swinney told parliament that his motion was a “vital question to debate”.