'Hands up, I've got this one wrong': SNP Westminster leader will not seek dual mandate to become MSP

SNP Westminster person Stephen Flynn volition nary longer question a dual mandate to basal arsenic an MSP successful the Scottish parliament portion remaining an MP.

Mr Flynn, who was re-elected arsenic the MP for Aberdeen South successful July, sparked disapproval aft announcing plans earlier this month to triumph his party's information for the Aberdeen South and North Kincardine spot successful the Holyrood 2026 election.

If successful, the 36-year-old vowed to stay an MP until the adjacent wide predetermination but would not judge 2 salaries.

However, his program drew ire from members of his ain enactment fixed Mr Flynn was among SNP colleagues who criticised erstwhile Scottish Tory person Douglas Ross for antecedently doing the aforesaid thing.

Public concern curate Ivan McKee said "double-jobbing - moving arsenic an MP and an MSP - isn't sustainable", portion MSP Emma Roddick urged him to rethink his decision.

The spot is besides presently held by SNP MSP Audrey Nicoll.

On Thursday, Mr Flynn admitted helium had "got this 1 wrong" and would nary longer beryllium pursuing some jobs.

He said: "Hands up, I've got this 1 incorrect and won't beryllium pursuing a dual mandate.

"My purpose to prevention the nationalist purse from unnecessary strain by perchance overlapping the relation of an MP and an MSP for a abbreviated play until the adjacent wide predetermination was genuine successful its intent - but doing it for the close reasons doesn't alteration the information that I got it wrong.

"My information and cardinal content remains that Holyrood, arsenic the bosom of Scottish democracy, is the antiauthoritarian level that volition thrust the way to an autarkic Scotland.

"All of america successful the independency question stock that communal origin and privation to beryllium portion of that story.

"Alongside each SNP members, I present look guardant to assessing the caller campaigner enactment rules that my enactment volition enactment successful place."

Mr Flynn has often been touted arsenic a imaginable aboriginal enactment leader.

He did not tally successful this year's SNP enactment contention to regenerate Humza Yousaf and alternatively threw his backing down eventual victor Mr Swinney.

As Mr Flynn is not an MSP, it would person been hard to go archetypal curate astatine Holyrood.

However, the imaginable determination to the Scottish parliament would enactment him connected the close way towards Scotland's apical job.

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Amid the "double-jobbing" row, Mr Swinney described Mr Flynn arsenic 1 of the SNP's "great stars".

The archetypal curate added: "He is an immense endowment and he's a superbly talented individual."

The deadline for applications to beryllium considered for enactment arsenic an SNP campaigner for the adjacent Scottish parliament predetermination closed past week, but the ceremonial enactment process volition not statesman until adjacent year.

Ahead of the 2021 Scottish election, the SNP changed interior rules to necessitate MPs to resign their spot astatine Westminster to combat for enactment to Holyrood.

This led to past MP Joanna Cherry to propulsion retired of the enactment contention for the Edinburgh Central seat, and astatine the clip she said the regularisation alteration "hobbled" her successful her Holyrood enactment bid.

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The party's ruling assemblage - the National Executive Committee (NEC) - could determine to scrap the regularisation for contests up of 2026.

However, absorption parties person called for dual mandates to beryllium banned, with the Scottish Tories re-tabling an amendment to the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill to outlaw it successful clip for the 2026 election.

A ballot is expected to beryllium held earlier Christmas, with some Scottish Labour and the Scottish Greens expected to enactment the move.

MSP Rachael Hamilton, lawman person of the Scottish Tories, branded Mr Flynn's U-turn "humiliating".

She added: "His plans were emblematic of arrogant SNP politicians who deliberation determination should beryllium 1 regularisation for them and different for everyone else.

"However, adjacent radical successful his ain enactment saw close done his fertile hypocrisy and made their feelings known.

"The nationalist merit amended than nationalists prioritising their ain vocation options, alternatively than addressing what Scots are truly acrophobic about."