[Politics] Ian Blackford to stand down as SNP leader at Westminster

[BirSaNN]

Ian Blackford is to stand down as leader of the SNP group at Westminster, it has been confirmed.

Mr Blackford said he believed it was time for "fresh leadership" after five years in the role.

He said he would formally stand down at the group's annual general meeting next week.

There has been speculation in recent weeks that some SNP MPs were plotting to replace Mr Blackford as group leader.

Mr Blackford said he would continue in his role as the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber and had also accepted a new role at the centre of the SNP's independence campaign.

And he insisted he had not been pressured into resigning, telling BBC Scotland: "No, not at all. I've taken the decision".

He added: "The first minister has asked me to take on a role as her business ambassador. I'm absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to take on the engagement with the business community.

"In order to do that, it's right that I stand down as the SNP Westminster leader.

"I've done it for five and a half years so it's time for others to come forward and take the Westminster group through on the next part of its journey and helping the party towards independence."

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Mr Blackford has become as well-known figure in the House of Commons through his weekly appearance at Prime Minister's Questions and is seen as being a close ally of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP leader.

He faced calls to resign from political opponents after the Daily Mail reported in June that it had obtained a recording of Mr Blackford urging fellow MPs to give "absolute full support" to SNP MP Patrick Grady, who was suspended for sexual misconduct.

Mr Grady, a former SNP chief whip, was suspended from Parliament for two days over a sexual advance towards a colleague in 2016, and also suspended from the SNP's Westminster group for a week.

Ms Sturgeon subsequently said that the support expressed for Mr Grady had been "unacceptable".

There have been reports that some SNP MPs were also unhappy at Mr Blackford's handling of the case, with Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn recently dismissing suggestions that he was "on manoeuvres" with a view to replacing him as group leader.

After announcing he was stepping down, Mr Blackford told BBC Scotland: "I'll always speak up to make sure that we speak out against any kind of intimidation, any kind of bad behaviour, sexual exploitation. And in my new role I'll continue to do that when it's right to do so."

At the time, Mr Blackford made clear that he intended to stand for re-election to the post at the upcoming AGM.

He also denied rumours in March that he was considering resigning amid further reports of party infighting.

SNP sources have told BBC Scotland that they expect Mr Flynn to stand for the leadership, and that he has ''broad support'' among their MPs and may be the only candidate to succeed Mr Blackford.

The Westminster group's AGM will be held next Tuesday, with the leader being selected by the 44 MPs who currently hold the SNP whip.

It means the new leader will be in place to face Rishi Sunak at Prime Minister's Questions the next day,

Mr Blackford defeated former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy to become the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber in 2015, with his campaign being mired in controversy over online abuse aimed at Mr Kennedy and his long-running battle with alcoholism.

Brian Smith, who was convenor of the SNP's Skye and Lochalsh branch, later resigned after it was reported that he had called Mr Kennedy a "drunken slob" and "quisling-in-chief" in a series of more than 130 tweets.

Mr Kennedy died of a major haemorrhage linked to his alcoholism just three weeks after the election.

link: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-63821836