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SNP Westminster leader faces backlash over Holyrood bid

(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Another day, another SNP drama. This morning the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn announced he will stand as a candidate in the 2026 Holyrood election in an op-ed written for the Press & Journal. ‘I’m chucking my bonnet in the ring,’ Flynn wrote jubilantly, adding that if successful in the race to secure an MSP seat, he would remain an MP until the next general election. ‘I will not shirk from these responsibilities as an MP and, if elected to Holyrood, I do not intend to leave them behind until the next general election.’ Talk about having your cake and eating it, eh?

It seems not everyone is thrilled by Flynn’s proposal, however – least of all some of own party members. The Nats were always quick to criticise former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross for working between London and Edinburgh as both an MP and an MSP – and so Flynn’s decision leaves the separatists in a rather sticky spot.

Steerpike
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Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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