There are 18 months until the 2026 Holyrood election and already talk is ramping up about who will stand. There are sure to be candidate vacancies – nobody seriously thinks that former first ministers who have had their day and fallen from favour are going to run again. Other MSPs may retire and there are sitting parliamentarians who could do with some healthy competition during the re-selection process. Fear of such competition no doubt underlies some of today’s expressions of antipathy towards SNP members of the Westminster parliament with Holyrood ambitions.
Anyone paying attention knows that the unprecedented rule change was specifically designed to stop me challenging Angus Robertson for the Edinburgh Central seat.
The SNP is now marginalised at the UK parliament by the loss of so many MPs at the general election – and by a huge government majority. It is therefore understandable that some of those who managed to hold onto their Westminster seats have set their sights on Holyrood.
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