SNP Westminster leader: Stephen Flynn confirmed as Ian Blackford’s replacement - who is Aberdeen South MP?

The SNP have decided who its next Westminster leader will be - with Stephen Flynn taking over from Ian Blackford. Flynn, MP for Aberdeen South, was the favourite to take over the role from Blackford who announced that he was stepping down last week.

Flynn, who also confirmed that Mhairi Black will join him as his deputy leader, said: “It’s an honour to be elected to lead the SNP’s strong and talented team of MPs during such a crucial period for Scotland. Under my leadership, SNP MPs will be relentlessly focused on standing up for Scotland’s interests and our democratic right to decide our future in an independence referendum.

“Families across Scotland are paying a devastating price under Westminster control, with Brexit, austerity cuts and the Tory cost-of-living crisis hammering household budgets. SNP MPs will work harder than ever to hold the Tory Government to account, and make the case that independence is the essential route to safety, fairness and prosperity for Scotland.”

While Flynn was a solid favourite to be the next Westminster leader, he faced tough competition from Alison Thewliss. Thewliss had announced her intention to run against Flynn saying: “The Westminster group needs a leader who can build on Ian Blackford’s achievements and demonstrate that independence, far from being abstract, is the alternative to Brexit, the cost-of-living crisis and Tory austerity.”

However, it was Flynn who prevailed during the SNP’s AGM meeting. Upon announcing his candidacy over the weekend, he said: “Few working class folk ever make it to Parliament, fewer still run to be political leaders. Even fewer do so having spent almost the entirety of their teenage and adult years battling a physical disability. Your experiences tend to shape you and I am no different.”

Blackford announced that he was voluntarily stepping back from the role of Westminster leader amid claims of a rift in the London wing of the party. He will move into a role as the SNP’s ambassador to business, and remain an MP for his constituents in Ross, Skye and Lochaber.

Who is Stephen Flynn?

Stephen Flynn, 34, was elected to parliament in the 2019 intake. He is MP for Aberdeen South but also serves as the SNP’s Westminster spokesperson for Business.

Flynn is a former council member. He joined Aberdeen City Council in 2015 and also served as leader of the SNP’s Aberdeen City Council group before he moved on to Westminster politics.

The MP was diagnosed with avascular necrosis - a serious condition in which bone tissue breaks down due to a lack of blood supply - which  in his teens, which left him using crutches and walking aid for 17 years. However, in 2020, he underwent “life-changing” hip replacement surgery.

What has been the reaction to Stephen Flynn’s appointment?

Scottish First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon congratulated Flynn on his appointment. She descrobed the partnership of Flynn and his deputy Mhairi Black as a “truly formidable team”.

Upon her appointment to deputy leader, Mhairi Black said: “Westminster is failing Scotland. With the Tories and Labour Party both wedded to Brexit, austerity cuts and democracy denial, it’s clearer than ever that independence is the only way to escape the damage of Westminster control and get Scotland back on the path to prosperity.”

Thewliss, Flynn’s only competitor in the race, conceeded to Flynn’s win. She tweeted: “Congratulations to @StephenFlynnSNP and @MhairiBlack, and my thanks to all who have been so lovely and supportive – especially my running mate @Stuart_McDonald.”