Michelle Ballantyne

Ballantyne was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester. She studied nursing at The London Hospital in East London, beginning her career working as a staff nurse in an Intensive Care Unit before progressing into a finance and management position at South West Thames Regional Health Authority.[1]

Ballantyne moved to the Scottish Borders in 1990 to established a manufacturing business with her husband in Walkerburn. During this period, she continued to work as a nurse within social care, while also completing an Honours degree as a mature student at Heriot Watt University in Galashiels. After graduation, she returned to Health Service Management in 2000, managing an Acute Medicine department in Edinburgh.[1]

Ballantyne and her husband sold their house and became tenants to enable Michelle to work closer to home. Ballantyne took a position in 2005 as head of an independent local charity providing specialist drug and alcohol support to children, families and offenders.[1]

Official parliamentary portrait, 2017

Ballantyne was first elected to the Scottish Borders Council as representative for Selkirkshire in 2012, and then led the Conservative group at the 2017 Scottish local elections. The Conservatives gained 5 seats and subsequently partnered with the Independent group to take control of the council from the incumbent SNP, Liberal Democrat and Independent alliance.[2] Following the election, Ballantyne was invited to join the Scottish Parliament and sworn in as an MSP on 23 May 2017[3] to replaced Rachael Hamilton, who had resigned her seat to contest the 2017 Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire by-election on 8 June.[4] Shortly after she joined the Scottish Parliament, Ballantyne was appointed to the Scottish Conservative frontbench as Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Years.

On 3 May 2018, Ballantyne was promoted by Ruth Davidson to the role of Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Social Security. During a meeting of the Social Security Committee, she claimed that "there’s no such thing as a bedroom tax", disagreeing that restrictions to benefits are equivalent to the payment of tax.[5] She later sparked heated debate in 2018 after claiming that "people on benefit cannot have as many children as they like while people who work and pay their way and don't claim benefits have to make decisions about the number of children they can have."[6] when defending the UK Government's two child cap. She later refused to apologise for her remarks, and accused critics of having an "emotional reaction".[7] During an interview Ballantyne accused the SNP of politicising the two child cap and suggested that there was no hard evidence as to why the use of foodbanks has increased.[8]

Criticising the SNP's record on healthcare within a speech in the Scottish Parliament, Ballantyne said she would be "quite happy" if the Scottish Government had no role in running the National Health Service in Scotland.[9]

Ballantyne was a candidate in the first Scottish Conservative Party leadership election of 2020.[10] During the campaign, her stance on the two-child limit was brought up but she reiterated her views and defended them.[11] She eventually lost the leadership election to Jackson Carlaw.[12] She was dropped from Carlaw's Shadow Cabinet in a reshuffle shortly after the election.[13] On 18 February, Carlaw told ITV's 'Representing Borders' that Ballantyne would be moved to a new key position.[14] On 3 March, she assumed office as convener of the Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee.[15]

On 24 November 2020, Ballantyne announced she would leave the Scottish Conservatives to sit as an independent MSP, citing differences on policies and principles with the party and its new leader Douglas Ross, especially with regards to the party's support for coronavirus lockdown measures; she said that she and the party were no longer "a good fit".[16]

Ballantyne joined Reform UK in January 2021 and was appointed as Leader of Reform UK Scotland.[17]

The eldest of four siblings, Ballantyne has been married to her husband Neil since December 1983 and together they have 6 children. Neil is a former officer in the King's Own Scottish Borderers.[1] She is managing trustee of The Haining,[18] a patron of a food bank in Penicuik[19] and a council member of Friends at the End.[20]

Starting in 2000, Ballantyne was an adult volunteer in the Air Training Corps and she received a commission as a pilot officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch).[21] Two years later, she was promoted to flying officer.[22] Ballantyne resigned her commission in June 2003.[23]