Ian Blackford: who could replace SNP MP as Westminster leader including Stephen Flynn and Alison Thewlis

SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford has announced he is standing down from the role, with attention turning to who could replace him. Blackford announced his resignation as leader on 1 December, with a successor due to be chosen at the SNP’s AGM next week where the current leader will formally resign.

In his resignation announcement, the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber said he was standing down to take on a role within Scottish First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon’s independence campaign. He is due to move to a business ambassador role within the campaign, which recently hit a roadblock after the Supreme Court ruled that a new referendum on Scottish independence couldn’t be held without the permission of Westminster.

There is speculation his resignation came following pressure from his fellow MPs to stand down amid reported party infighting in part due to his dealing with the Patrick Grady scandal. Grady was accused of sexual misconduct, and the Glasgow North MP was found by an independent investigation to have behaved inappropriately towards a party staffer at a function and was suspended from Parliament for two days. Grady later resigned his party membership.

But the handling of the complaint has drawn criticism and The Daily Mail reported in June 2022 that it had been given a recording of Blackford telling SNP MPs to give their “absolute full support” to Grady. Blackford, who will remain as an MP after standing down as Westminster leader, has denied he was forced out of the role. He told BBC Scotland: “I’ve taken the decision.”

But which SNP MP could succeed Blackford? NationalWorld takes a look at who could replace him as Westminster leader at next week’s AGM.

Stephen Flynn

MP for Aberdeen South

Stephen Flynn is currently the favourite to replace Blackford as the SNP’s Westminster leader. Flynn has been an MP since the 2019 general election, but has already made an impact during his time as a representative in Westminster.

He has been vocal in his hopes to succeed Blackford and has told The Scotsman that he hopes to become “the MP which leads the SNP group out of Westminster for the last time.” He is also believed to have the backing of much of the SNP’s Westminster group, with the party seeking unity.

SNP MP Richard Thompson has vocally backed Flynn to succeed Blackford, saying that he would be “surprised” if anyone runs against him. The Gordon MP told BBC Scotland: “There’s an emerging consenus that Stephen is somebody of with the talent and ability to move us forward over the next period.”

Alison Thewlis

MP for Glasgow Central

Alison Thewliss has become a main fixture of the SNP’s Westminster group. She is noted to have been vocal in the House of Parliament on a number of different issues and has been applauded for her public speaking in the chamber.

Despite Blackford being a contentious Westminster leader towards the end of his tenure, Thewliss has praised his work in London. Upon announcing his resignation, the Glasgow Central MP tweeted her thanks to Blackford, saying that he had put in an “incredible shift” and “consistently fought for Scotland’s cause at Westminster”.

Mhairi Black

MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South

When she was elected as an MP in 2015, Mhairi Black became the youngest person to be elected to parliament after the Reform Act of 1832. At the time, she was 20 years and 237 days old.

Since being elected, Black has made a huge impact on the SNP’s Westminster image. Many impassioned speeches by Black in the House of Commons have went viral on social media.

However, she faced criticism from members of her own party, and reportedly had a “blazing row” with fellow MP Joanna Cherry in March 2020 after Black had visited a primary school with a drag queen. Likewise, in the past year, Black was again criticised after being pictured flouting Scotrail’s alcohol ban while traveling on a train, meaning that Black may find it diffult to gain the backing she needs to unite the party.

Alyn Smith

MP for Stirling

Former European Parliament representative Alyn Smith has been in the Westminster group since he unseated Tory MP Stephen Kerr during the 2019 intake. There was strong suspicion that Smith, alongside fellow SNP MP Stewart McDonald, was putting pressure on Blackford to resign as leader earlier this year.

Both Smith and McDonald denied the claims at the time, rubbishing them as “junk”. However, could he now be vying for the job now that Blackford has voluntarily stepped down?

Smith has been vocal during his time in Westminster as a representative of the SNP. When asked if he backed calling an early general election in the wake of Boris Johnson’s resignation in July, he said: "[I] enjoy what’s going on in the UK Government right now because it’s actually strengthening our case that Westminster doesn’t work."

Stewart McDonald

MP for Glasgow South

Stewart McDonald was elected to parliament in 2015 to represent Glasgow South. McDonald has impressed his SNP colleagues in Westminster in recent months as the party’s defence spokesman, a role he took up in 2017.

The MP has become popular in the Westminster group after his competent performances in the chamber when dealing with defence issues such as the Ukraine War. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent response by the UK has been one of the few issues to unite MPs within their respective parties, so this could stand him in good stead if he decides to run as Westminster leader.

However, as previously mentioned, both he and Smith have been accused of attempting to push Blackford out earlier this year. He has also denied these claims and praised Blackford for his dedication to the role of Westminster leader, tweeting: "I am deeply sorry to see my friend @Ianblackford_MP stand down as leader. He has put in some shift, leading us through some of the most tumultuous political times, taking on 4 Prime Ministers, and delivering a stunning 2019 election result. All with his customary good nature."