Stephen Daisley Stephen Daisley

Why can’t the SNP attract anyone with any talent?

Credit: Getty Images

Here’s a political conundrum for you.

You’re the SNP. You’ve been in power in Scotland since 2007. You’re 13 points ahead in the polls one year out from the next Holyrood election. You’ve been stumbling these past few years but you’ve finally found your feet again. Your leader is less divisive than his predecessors and his deputy more competent than hers. Your opponents are either tethered to an unpopular Westminster government or distracted by a rival party. You stand a good chance of winning a fifth consecutive term in government.

But you have a problem: you can’t attract talent. A striking number of incumbent MSPs want out. To date, 21 Nationalists have confirmed they will not seek re-election in 2026. Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement generated the most headlines but also handing in their member’s pass are her immediate successor Humza Yousaf, and current Scottish cabinet ministers Shona Robison (finance), Fiona Hyslop (transport) and Mairi Gougeon (rural affairs), as well as four junior ministers.

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