Reform no confidence vote in drugs minister fails to secure support from MSPs

Reform has failed to meet the threshold for a vote of no confidence in drugs minister Maree Todd.

The party announced on Thursday that it was calling for a vote of no confidence in Todd, who was appointed drugs minister in May 2026 following the Holyrood elections.

It comes after figures released this week showed Scotland has the worst rate of drug deaths in Europe.

The figures, released by the National Records of Scotland, showed drug deaths rose by 11% to 1,133 in 2025

The party’s vote of no confidence needed the support of 25 MSPs to be actually taken into the chamber.

Reform has 17 MSPs, including Scotland leader Malcolm Offord, and therefore needed support from another party.

None of the other parties in the Scottish Parliament is backing the Reform motion, STV News understands.

Speaking earlier in the day, Thomas Kerr, Reform deputy leader in Scotland, told STV News: “Today we are calling for a no confidence vote in Maree Todd as minister for drugs. We’ve seen a 11% increase over the past year since she took on that role, and it is absolutely devastating for families like mine over the past ten years, that have seen an increase in these drug deaths.

“Maree Todd should be held responsible. Malcolm tried to ask John Swinney today if she was going to be held responsible. She’s not interested in it.

“So today we’ve called for a no confidence vote in her.”

Todd described Reform’s actions as a “stunt” and said she was “laser-focused on changing the situation”.

She said: “They’re holding a stunt. This week, I am focused entirely on the 1,133 people who have lost their lives to drugs. Tragic, preventable deaths.

“I am laser-focused on doing the work that I need to do to change that situation for us. I’m going to be blown off track by a stunt from Reform. I’m absolutely focused on those individuals.

“Everyone I meet, families, people in recovery, say to me, ‘I don’t want to be a political pawn’. I am absolutely focused on working right across the chamber to do the work that needs doing to rise and meet this challenge.”