Why SNP may want Ian Blackford to stand as MSP in 2026
The Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency ceased to exist at the last election following boundary changes. The successor seat of Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire was won by the Lib Dems's Angus MacDonald with the SNP Drew Hendry coming second.
Mr Blackford was first elected to Westminster in May 2015 - the post 2014 independence referendum election - when the SNP won an astonishing 56 of Scotland's 59 seats.
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A former SNP national treasurer, he became the SNP Westminster leader after Angus Robertson lost his seat at the 2017 snap general election.
Amid the Westminster votes on EU withdrawal and then the Partygate saga, Mr Blackford quickly locked horns with the then Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Commons chamber.
He also became known for his love of a stunt after he was expelled from the chamber in 2018 by a flustered John Bercow, the former Speaker, after refusing to sit down in a protest over the failure to debate what he called a Brexit 'power grab' from Scotland which prompted a mass walkout from colleagues.
Mr Johnson, in turn, liked to rile Mr Blackford, deliberately and repeatedly misnaming the SNP as the Scottish Nationalist Party (not as it is correctly the Scottish National Party) poking fun at his weight and mocking his claim to be 'a humble crofter'.
Of course, Mr Blackford was anything but 'just a humble crofter", although he does have a croft.
For most of his working life before becoming an MP he enjoyed a lucrative career as an investment banker.
During his career in high finance for a time he ran Deutsche Bank's equity operations in Scotland and the Netherlands. Following 20 years in the financial industry, he left to do independent consultancy work, forming an investor relations company called First Seer in 2002.
But despite his robust efforts in the Brexit turmoil to hold a series of Tory Prime Ministers to account – Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss - Mr Blackford had a turbulent time with his own MPs.
His handling of sexual harassment claims made against the SNP MP Patrick Grady by a young staffer was widely criticised after a leaked recording showed him urging colleagues to support Mr Grady while failing to mention his victim.
Amid brewing discontent and arguments among his MPs - including Joanna Cherry and Mhairi Black who were at opposite sides of the debate over gender self-declaration - he was ousted from his role as SNP leader in the Commons in December 2022 in an internal power struggle and replaced by Stephen Flynn. The two men later denied an acrimony and with a photograph posted on social media of them happily having a drink together on a Westminster terrace.
Mr Blackford is reportedly considering whether to stand now for Holyrood following the shock announcement by the Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes on Monday that she will not stand for re-election in May next year.
It is easy to see why senior figures in the SNP may want him in Holyrood.
While he has never been in government, he has considerable parliamentary and campaigning experience.
He is also someone who is very loyal to the legacy of Nicola Sturgeon and to the current First Minister John Swinney.
It was rumoured that Mr Blackford was one of the central figures in the SNP who encouraged Mr Swinney to put himself forward for party leader following the resignation of Humza Yousaf.
There is also an issue that the SNP benches will be losing many of its senior MSPs and ministers.
Ms Forbes is the latest to announce her exit, but she follows in the footsteps of Ms Sturgeon, Mr Yousaf, finance secretary Shona Robison, as well as fellow cabinet members Fiona Hyslop and Mairi Gougeon.
A number of ministers are also standing down including Richard Lochhead and Graeme Dey.
With so many experienced politicians leaving it would be easy to see why the SNP may want to recruit more senior figures into Holyrood.
If Mr Blackford does decide to stand, and voters elect him, it is likely he would be a contender for a top job in the Cabinet - maybe even finance secretary.
And he may well have a sizeable group of former MPs by his side as he sits in Holyrood - including of course his usurper Mr Flynn.
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