Ian Blackford will not be standing at the next General Election
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Ian Blackford has confirmed that after thinking “long and hard” he will not stand again at the next general election ending almost a decade in Westminster, including as SNP leader there.
According to the Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP he wanted to leave enough time for other candidates to come forward as the selection process is underway now for the next Westminster election.
He has recently taken on the role of the SNP’s Business Ambassador and is currently “working on producing a paper on mapping Scotland’s Industrial Future” to be released in the coming weeks.
Mr Blackford won the seat from Charles Kennedy back in 2015 and remained a firm ally of Nicola Sturgeon’s eventually being appointed to the business ambassador role after he lost his leadership of the SNP Westminster group.
An enormous privilege
“It has been an enormous privilege to serve as the MP for Ross, Skye & Lochaber since 2015. I am grateful to the SNP membership for selecting me and I remain privileged and humbled that people across my home constituency have put their trust in me at three elections,” he said.
“Serving as the local MP for this vast and cherished Highland and Island area has always been my priority.
“Finally, to the voters of Ross, Skye and Lochaber, I once again thank each and every one of you for the opportunity to represent your interests and serve this most special of places – the place I am fortunate to call my home.”
Stalwart
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said: “I would like to put on record my thanks to Ian Blackford for the massive role he has played in making the SNP the formidable force it is in Scottish and UK politics.
“Ian has been a stalwart in the SNP for decades and has played a key role in putting forward the case for Scotland’s future as an independent country. He was also pivotal in the SNP’s incredible general election win in 2019."
