Ian Blackford refuses to rule out Holyrood bid
When quizzed on Spectator TV about whether he would stand at next year's Holyrood election, Blackford did not rule it out – however he remarked: 'It would be a big push for me to get myself there.' How interesting…
The investment banker-turned-politician went on:
I didn't put myself forward for vetting to be an SNP candidate. It wasn't in my mind to stand for the Scottish parliament. What I've done is I've sought to be respectful to those that have asked me from the constituency over the course of the last few days.
I've reflected on some of the some of the things which are going on. I am deeply concerned about the economy. When the UK cannot increase its debt level, the Chancellor will increase tax levels again in the budget this year. But we are not far away from a financial crisis.
How do we create the economic growth that will make a difference for, for all of us in these islands and certainly for Scotland as well?
I would like to find a way that I can still have an influence in that debate. And I don't believe that I have to be in the Scottish parliament to do that but I will carefully reflect on what people have asked me to do.
The speculation began almost immediately after Forbes made her announcement. The Deputy FM was widely expected to run for the party leadership, whenever the next contest will take place, and her impending departure has raised the question of who might succeed First Minister John Swinney when the time comes. One nationalist told Lucy Dunn that: '[Blackford] is the dark horse here. Does he suddenly then become an outsider that could be the next leader, potentially, especially if you're looking at a caretaker regime that's basically saying the new kids on the block aren't ready to take the reins yet?'
As an investment banker, Blackford could be a perfect fit to take on the role of economy secretary when Forbes steps aside – if, of course, the Nats hold onto her seat. But whether Forbes is as keen about the possibility of a Blackford return is a different story. On whether she would back a Blackford bounce-back, she told an Edinburgh Fringe audience: 'I am taking those headlines with a huge dose of salt. I did have a chat with him a few days ago and that wasn't in the conversation.' Would she vote for him? 'I will wait and see what the options are,' she replied. Not quite a full-throated endorsement, eh?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
The ‘harsh truth' facing Scotland's retailers as high street spending stalls
'Many retailers, especially those on the high street, face increasingly unpalatable choices in the coming months' – Ewan MacDonald-Russell, SRC Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Retailers are facing 'increasingly unpalatable choices' as cash-strapped Scots rein in spending, industry leaders have warned. New figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) reveal a lacklustre performance last month, despite strong food sales in the opening half of July as consumers fired up their barbecues amid the sunny weather. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The trade body's latest retail sales monitor shows that total sales north of the Border nudged up 0.1 per cent last month, compared with July 2024. However, adjusted for the effects of inflation, there was a year-on-year fall of 0.5 per cent - a slight improvement on June's result. The outlook for many town centres and retailers heading into autumn is rather bleak. Ewan MacDonald-Russell, deputy head of the SRC, said: 'July was a lacklustre month for Scottish retailers as sales again disappointed. 'The harsh truth is Scots are holding back spending as worries about the economy grow. That is leaving shops in the lurch - facing higher costs as a consequence of last year's UK government Budget without the growth needed to pay those bills. 'With little sight the economic weather will brighten many retailers, especially those on the high street, face increasingly unpalatable choices in the coming months.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A breakdown of the latest data shows that total food sales decreased by 1.4 per cent, compared with July 2024. Non-food sales, overall, increased by 1.4 per cent, year on year. Adjusted for the effect of online sales, non-food takings were 1.6 per cent higher. Linda Ellett, UK head of consumer, retail and leisure at KPMG, which helps compile the monthly data, said: 'The UK's fifth warmest July on Met Office record brought a boost to home appliance and food and drink sales. But rising inflation was also a driver of the latter and monthly non-food sales are only growing at around 1 per cent on average at present. 'With employment costs having risen and inflation both a business and consumer side pressure, it remains a challenging trading environment for many retailers. 'While the majority of consumers that KPMG surveys are confident in their ability to balance their monthly household budgets, big ticket purchases are more considered in the context of rising essential costs and ongoing caution about the economy and labour market. Holidays are the priority for many this summer but those heading away have had to account for a higher cost of travel.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The testing conditions on the high street come as the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) calls for 'urgent government action' as River Island and Hobbycraft announce restructuring plans, and Claire's UK business collapses into administration. It points to a string of major retailers announcing significant restructuring plans, store closures and job cuts amid rising costs and weak consumer demand and high street footfall. Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of Bira, said: 'It's deeply saddening to see long-standing high street chains announcing significant profit reductions and facing existential threats. These developments provide yet more examples, if they were needed, of the urgent need to support high street businesses across Britain.
The National
an hour ago
- The National
More than 350,000 Scottish Baby Boxes delivered since 2017
The latest data from the Scottish Parliament shows that a total of 350,729 boxes – which contain essential items like clothes, thermometers and dummies – have been delivered since the initiative was launched in 2017. The included items are worth over £400 per box, ensuring that all children in Scotland have the same start in life. READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon tells of fresh abuse over miscarriage after publishing memoir To mark the eighth anniversary of the programme, First Minister John Swinney is set to meet with expectant mother Mairi Morrison and her partner at Western Isles Hospital on Lewis to deliver their baby box. 'Scotland's Baby Box strongly signals our determination that every child, regardless of their circumstances, should get the best start in life', Swinney said. 'The programme is supporting families right across the length and bread of Scotland, including here in the Western Isles where 1281 boxes have been delivered to date. 'My number one priority as First Minister is to end child poverty in Scotland – and I am very proud of the impact that the baby box is making to support families across the country.' Around 89% of first-time parents in Scotland have registered for the baby boxes, which also come fitted with a mattress to double as a safe space for tots to sleep, benefitting around 41,000 young families per year. MSP for South Scotland, Emma Harper, said the baby boxes are an indicator of what an independent Scotland could do to eradicate child poverty. 'More than 350,000 babies have now received baby boxes thanks to action by this SNP Government – a truly outstanding achievement from a government committed to giving everyone the best start in life', Harper said. 'Providing essential items needed for the first six months of their child's life is a particularly important gift to new parents when household budgets are under continued pressure due to rising bills under the UK Labour Government. 'The baby box is one of many transformative actions the SNP is taking to make a real difference to children and families – like the game-changing Scottish Child Payment and rollout of free school meals. 'But the reality is that while the SNP Government continues to deliver bold policies in government for a fairer Scotland, with the limited powers at its disposal, Westminster is accelerating more people into poverty because of pernicious policies like the two child limit. 'The SNP Government is doing all it can – but the limited powers of devolution are reaching their limit. It is only with the full powers of independence that we can build a better future for every child born in Scotland.'
The National
an hour ago
- The National
Ross Greer: Scottish independence can rid us of nuclear abomination
This was proven once again last weekend with the Ferret, The National and others exposing the scale of the threat posed to those of my constituents who have the bases at Faslane and Coulport on their doorsteps. The news radioactive water leaked into beautiful Loch Long should concern everyone, though for those of us familiar with the safety record at Coulport, it was no surprise. Far from an isolated event, we now know that Faslane also saw over 100 reported safety incidents over the last 12 months, including a Category A event earlier this year, the most serious category and one that the Royal Navy says carries an 'actual or high potential for radioactive release to the environment'. READ MORE: Richest Scottish households have one fifth of country's wealth, report finds At no point has the UK Government shown any concern for local people or the environment. They didn't even tell locals about these toxic leaks and tried to keep the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) reports a secret. Fortunately, dogged journalists like Rob Edwards forced it all into the open, with the Information Commissioner ruling that self-inflicted damage to the Ministry of Defence's reputation is not the same thing as risking national security. For far too long, the MoD has played fast and loose with these weapons of mass slaughter, throwing billions of pounds at private contractors whilst failing to even maintain their own facilities. It shows negligence at the highest levels, putting the public at risk. There are few sites as dangerous as Coulport, where the nuclear warheads are kept. An accident or shoddy maintenance there could have such potentially catastrophic consequences. For people who live in the local area – the communities I represent – it has been particularly chilling to find out that this not only happened but that it was initially covered up to save the embarrassment of the Navy. At the heart of the debate about Britain's nuclear weapons, there is a grave mistruth. Faslane and its nuclear arsenal doesn't exist to keep us safe. It exists for one reason and that is to save the UK seat on the UN Security Council and maintain the delusion that this country is still a global superpower. Former CND member Tony Blair admitted as much in his autobiography, writing that 'The expense is huge and the utility [of Trident is] non-existent in terms of military use' but arguing that giving it up would be 'too big a downgrading of our status as a nation'. It's also one of the many issues where the current foreign secretary, David Lammy, has forgotten his principles and reversed his position. Last time the issue was debated in the Commons, in 2016 he gave an impassioned speech, saying that 'as a matter of conscience' he would be voting against Trident renewal as he 'simply [could] not accept that there can ever be circumstances in which it would be permissible to deliberately target millions of innocent civilians in this way'. Lammy, also once a CND member, rightly said he could not 'vote in favour of writing a blank cheque for billions of pounds today when so many of my constituents are living in deprivation and when public services are stretched beyond breaking point.' Isn't it funny how easy Labour finds it to ditch their principles and sideline the needs of their constituents when it's their turn to sit at the top table. READ MORE: Read leaked report which 'proves Yvette Cooper is lying about Palestine Action' Putting the moral obscenity of nuclear weapons at the heart of our case for independence isn't just about finally getting Trident out of Scotland. It would also force a fundamental rethink of the UK's whole nuclear programme and see how willing Lammy, Blair and those like them are to have them in their own backyard. During the 2014 referendum I was proud that opposition to these weapons of mass killing played such a central and defining role in our campaign and our case for a different Scotland. Wherever I went, from protests and demonstrations to town hall gatherings and community meetings, it was clear how entwined the arguments for independence and a nuclear-free Scotland are – and how deep that sense of opposition is. We can't ever lose sight of that. It is one of the key reasons why the Scottish Greens do not and will not support Nato membership for an independent Scotland. Why would we want to join an organisation committed to nuclear weapons and a first-strike policy when we are trying to remove the same moral evil from our shores? The UK Government tried to assure us that the revelations forced out by journalists are nothing to worry about and that the nuclear warheads are perfectly safe. This is dangerous nonsense designed to normalise the permanent danger of possessing an arsenal that could wipe out the world's population. Scotland one day joining the many countries around the world who have signed up to the international treaty against nuclear weapons will always be key to my support for independence. It would be a triumph for world peace, and a burden off the shoulders of those who have to live in the shadow of these moral abominations.
