Latest news with #Blackford
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Why SNP would want Ian Blackford on the Holyrood frontline
Mr Blackford has been largely out of the public eye since he stood down from his Westminster seat of Ross, Skye and Lochaber at last year's general election. 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' Angus MacDonald with the SNP's 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. Read more: A former SNP national treasurer, he became the SNP Westminster leader after Angus Robertson lost his seat at the 2017 snap general election. He 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' on Scotland which prompted a mass walkout from colleagues. Amid the Westminster votes on EU withdrawal and then the Partygate saga, Mr Blackford came to prominence across the UK for locking horns in fiery exchanges with former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the Commons. 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 called the Scottish National Party) with the then PM poking fun at Mr Blackford's weight and mocking his claim to be 'a humble crofter'. Ian Blackford questioning Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Image: PA) Of course, Mr Blackford was anything but 'just a humble crofter", although he does have his own Highland 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, he ran Deutsche Bank's equity operations in Scotland and the Netherlands for a time. Following 20 years in the financial sector, 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, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak - 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 discontent and heated 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 any acrimony 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 to her Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency (which overlaps with parts of Mr Blackford's old Westminster seat) in May next year. It is easy to see why senior figures in the SNP may want their former Westminster leader on the Scottish Parliament frontline. While he has never been in government, he has considerable parliamentary and campaigning experience, as well as of course his experience of finance from his previous career. He is also someone who is very loyal to the legacy of former First Minister 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 last year following the sudden 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 junior 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 would want to recruit more senior party figures into Holyrood. If Mr Blackford does decide to stand, he is selected by his party as the candidate, 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.
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
Kate Forbes declines to back Ian Blackford to run in her Holyrood seat
The Deputy First Minister said there needed to be 'healthy competition' Sign up to our Politics newsletter 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... Kate Forbes has declined to back former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford to run in her Holyrood seat after she announced her intention to step down. The Deputy First Minister said there needed to be 'healthy competition' and she would 'wait and see what the options are'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She said Mr Blackford had not informed her of his intention to put himself forward as a candidate in Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes | PA Earlier this week, Mr Blackford told the Scottish Daily Mail he was being encouraged to stand in the seat, and he was giving it 'careful consideration'. It came after Ms Forbes announced she would not seek re-election next year as she wanted to spend more time with her family. She gave birth to her daughter Naomi in August 2022, and has been open about the challenges of juggling childcare with her demanding government role. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Appearing at The Herald Unspun Live at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Ms Forbes was asked if she would like to see Mr Blackford run. 'He's not told me that, so I'm taking those headlines with a huge dose of salt at the moment,' she said. 'I did have a chat with him a few days ago and that wasn't in the conversation, so I certainly haven't heard that. 'But that now becomes a party question as it were because it becomes a question of running a selection context and so on, and the branch members, of which I am one, will make their decision. 'But I do think there needs to be a healthy competition, and certainly he's not told me that.' She added: "I will wait and see what the options are.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Blackford represented Ross, Skye and Lochaber at Westminster from 2015 to 2024. Ms Forbes was seen by many within the SNP as a potential future leader, and there are now claims any future contest for the top job would be between the party's current Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, and senior minister Màiri McAllan.
The National
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Should the SNP be relying on their stars of the past – or charting a new course?
Blackford, his party's former group leader at Westminster, has said supporters have been urging him to stand in the constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch after its current MSP, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, announced she will be standing down in 2026. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion, and it will no doubt have been a factor in those anonymous supporters deciding to try to tempt the 'humble crofter' back into Parliament. Just look at what it's done to Hollywood. Nostalgia has seen billions of dollars thrown at lavish remakes of old Disney favourites, from The Lion King and Snow White to Aladdin and Mulan. I didn't even realise there had been a Peter Pan remake until today. READ MORE: Scottish activists mark 80 years since atomic bombings with new 'peace garden' Other studios are also getting in on the action, with DreamWorks this year releasing a shot-for-shot remake of How to Train Your Dragon – which saw Gerard Butler deliver the exact same lines in the exact same Scots brogue as he did 15 years ago. Is that what Scottish politics needs? Blackford, while serving as SNP Westminster leader, did give the party one of its most iconic moments in recent history when, in 2018, he led MPs out of the Commons in protest after he was kicked out by the Speaker. In that moment, he stood for everything party members were calling for: the SNP standing up to Westminster. Party membership rose by more than 5000 in the 24 hours following the mass walkout. Not bad for a day's work. With membership now dwindling, branches haemorrhaging local activists, and others threatening to leave if Swinney doesn't allow alternative independence strategies to be considered alongside his at conference in October, this would be an ideal time for a membership surge powered by nostalgia for 'the good old days'. But would Ian Blackford's return work? In Hollywood, remakes have been branded 'uncreative' and 'cash grabs'. At Holyrood, it is not difficult to imagine the same accusations being levelled at the SNP and Blackford respectively, should he bid for an MSP's paycheque. Swinney himself is a case-in-point example of a former high heid yin coming back to provide some (arguably perceived) stability to a political party. It was the same with Cameron for the Tories in 2022 – with a Lords seat his reward in place of the First Minister job. They knew the workings of parliaments, had name recognition with voters, and the familiar face brought credibility in a time of 'chaos'. Great. But a key sticking point surrounding Swinney's entire leadership is the lack of renewed thinking. There is little spark, no fire, and a desperate repackaging of the old independence strategy is reigniting internal party tensions that have simmered since Nicola Sturgeon's day. He is proving uninspiring and failing to bring in new members, even if he is described as 'a nice guy'. With an eye on the future, members are looking instead to Cabinet Secretary Mairi McAllan (a mentee of Sturgeon) and at current SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn – the man who ousted Blackford. READ MORE: 'It won't work': John Swinney dismisses SNP members' rival independence plan Does Blackford bring gravitas and adaptability to a potential second hurrah? Gravitas, yes. That is why his supporters have been a-ringing. But adaptability? I can't see it. He is a senior enough figure that he could block chances of renewal within the party – and bring just a little too much political nostalgia to put off swing voters. The suggestion of Blackford returning doesn't give a sense of a broader renewal back to the SNP's heyday, it looks a lot like recycling the old guard – and signals that the party either cannot attract or does not want a new generation leading the way and changing the status quo.
Scotsman
6 days ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
Ian Blackford's election decision after Kate Forbes's resignation would stir up SNP tensions
Sign up to our Politics newsletter 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... Another SNP heavyweight is reportedly eying up a switch to Holyrood - and it could have dramatic consequences. Ian Blackford, the former SNP Westminster leader, has admitted he will give the prospect of stepping into Kate Forbes's shoes when she stands down next year "careful consideration". Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ian Blackford, SNP's former Westminster leader, hinted he could run as an MSP. He conceded: 'It is not what I had in my mind, it really wasn't. I obviously purposefully didn't put myself forward for the Scottish Parliament a few months ago, so I don't know.' It might not come as no great surprise that Mr Blackford is considering standing in the Highlands constituency that overlaps his former Westminster seat. But it could ramp up tensions in the SNP, once again, if he was to find himself on the ballot for next year's election. The SNP's current Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, is bidding to switch to Holyrood. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn speaking during Prime Minister's Questions | House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire Mr Flynn, who many inside the party regard as a future leader, was probably quite pleased Ms Forbes, another potential leader, is calling it quits. But he would likely be less impressed with Mr Blackford coming forward, given the SNP Westminster leader faced accusations he ousted Mr Blackford from his Commons role. If Mr Blackford and Mr Flynn do manage to be elected to Holyrood, amid the tension, it would potentially send a clear signal the SNP is done with Westminster - given the party's three last Commons leaders would be sitting in Holyrood.
The National
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Should the SNP recycle the 'old guard' when something goes wrong?
Blackford, his party's former group leader at Westminster, has said supporters have been urging him to stand in the constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch after its current MSP, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, announced she will be standing down in 2026. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion, and it will no doubt have been a factor in those anonymous supporters deciding to try to tempt the 'humble crofter' back into parliament. Just look at what it's done to Hollywood. Nostalgia has seen billions of dollars thrown at lavish remakes of old Disney favourites, from The Lion King and Snow White to Aladdin and Mulan. I didn't even realise there had been a Peter Pan remake until today. READ MORE: Scottish activists mark 80 years since atomic bombings with new 'peace garden' Other studios are also getting in on the action, with DreamWorks this year releasing a shot-for-shot remake of How to Train Your Dragon – which saw Gerard Butler deliver the exact same lines in the exact same Scots brogue as he did 15 years ago. Is that what Scottish politics needs? Blackford, while serving as SNP Westminster leader, did give the party one of its most iconic moments in recent history when, in 2018, he led MPs out of the Commons in protest after he was kicked out by the Speaker. In that moment, he stood for everything party members were calling for: the SNP standing up to Westminster. Party membership rose by more than 5000 in the 24 hours following the mass walkout. Not bad for a day's work. With membership now dwindling, branches haemorrhaging local activists, and others threatening to leave if Swinney doesn't allow alternative independence strategies to be considered alongside his at conference in October, this would be an ideal time for a membership surge powered by nostalgia of 'the good old days'. But would Ian Blackford's return work? In Hollywood, remakes have been branded 'uncreative' and 'cash grabs'. At Holyrood, it is not difficult to imagine the same accusations being levelled at the SNP and Blackford respectively, should he bid for an MSP's paycheque. Swinney himself is a case-in-point example of a former high heid yin coming back to provide some (arguably perceived) stability to a political party. It was the same with Cameron for the Tories in 2022 – with a Lords seat his reward in place of the First Minister job. They knew the workings of parliaments, had name recognition with voters, and the familiar face brought credibility in a time of 'chaos'. Great. But a key sticking point surrounding Swinney's entire leadership is the lack of renewed thinking. There is little spark, no fire, and a desperate repackaging of the old independence strategy is reigniting internal party tensions that have simmered since Nicola Sturgeon's day. He is proving uninspiring and failing to bring in new members, even if he is described as 'a nice guy'. With an eye on the future, members are looking instead to Cabinet Secretary Mairi McAllan (a mentee of Sturgeon) and at current SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn – the man who ousted Blackford. READ MORE: 'It won't work': John Swinney dismisses SNP members' rival independence plan Does Blackford bring gravitas and adaptability to a potential second hurrah? Gravitas, yes. That is why his supporters have been a-ringing. But adaptability? I can't see it. He is a senior enough figure that he could block chances of renewal within the party – and bring just a little too much political nostalgia to put off swing voters. The suggestion of Blackford returning doesn't give a sense of a broader renewal back to the SNP's heyday, it looks a lot like recycling the old guard – and signals that the party either cannot attract or do not want a new generation leading the way and changing the status quo.
