Latest news with #IanBlackford
Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Times
Ian Blackford rules out replacing Kate Forbes in key seat
Ian Blackford has ruled himself out of the Holyrood contest for the seat being vacated by the deputy first minister Kate Forbes. However, the former SNP Westminster leader has not closed the door on a future comeback, stating he believes he can still 'serve my party and my country'. Blackford, 64, had been approached by local SNP activists and senior party figures to seek the nomination for the Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch constituency, a move that would have returned him to an area he previously represented at Westminster. In a statement, he confirmed that after 'careful consideration' he had decided against putting his name forward for the 2026 election. • Kate Forbes exit leaves question: who can replace John Swinney? The announcement brings an end to speculation that began last week when Forbes, 34, revealed she would not be seeking re-election. The deputy first minister cited a desire to have more children as her reason for stepping down, telling constituents in a video message that it was 'time for something new for me, and somebody new for you'. Blackford's decision to step away from the contest will open the field to other candidates. The Highlands constituency, which Forbes won with a majority of more than 15,000 votes, is considered a stronghold for the party. However, the Liberal Democrats are expected to mount a strong challenge. • All eyes on John Swinney as Kate Forbes's departure leaves big questions Blackford, a former investment banker and fund manager, left the House of Commons before last July's general election, where the new seat of Inverness, Skye & West Ross-shire was subsequently won by the Liberal Democrats' Angus MacDonald. Blackford had held the area since 2015, when he the former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy. Despite his decision not to stand for Holyrood, Blackford's statement left the door ajar for a return to politics. 'I do believe that I am still of an age that I can serve my party and my country,' he said. He added that he viewed the 'journey to independence as being very much unfinished business' and that he wanted to contribute to the debate on the 'economics of independence'. He concluded: 'Working with others, I do want to participate in that debate on our future and perhaps, in the time ahead, there may be future opportunities to return to frontline politics.' A close confidant of the former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, Blackford was unseated as Westminster leader by Stephen Flynn in late 2022. He has been pursuing business interests since leaving parliament.
The Herald Scotland
09-08-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
There will be no Blackford bounce when Kate leaves politics
Dennis Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen. Letters: SNP MSPs should copy the Tories and rebel against their leaders Letters: Labour and the Tories have reduced politics to a sorry state Letters: Edinburgh Council is wrong to re-use misleading wording on Melville plaque Poor things THE article on whether Ian Blackford should be a candidate for the SNP at the next Scottish Parliamentary elections ('Politics is a 'brutal' place to be, says Forbes', The Herald, August 8), makes for some serious thinking. Not just by the SNP, but also by the Scottish electorate in general. There is the common belief, amongst said electorate, that the large majority of the existing and potential candidates are of poor quality. The political parties should acknowledge that they are elected for the good of every citizen, and not simply for the aggrandisement of the particular party or individual. Such a hope may appear to be utopian, but with a little more care and attention, it is achievable. In the specific case of the suitability of Ian Blackford, and whether or not he would fit the bill, being politically close to Stephen Flynn, the SNP's leader in the House of Commons, should not provide the casting vote when it comes to his selection. Mike Dooley, Ayr. Local solution UNLIKE Irene Munro (Letters, August 7), I feel no dismay at Kate Forbes stepping back from the Scottish Parliament. Politics might benefit from her earning a living as a local councillor, where she could better grasp the realities of local governance and the way Holyrood has drained the life from public services and local democracy. Should she choose to return to national politics after this experience, she may be better equipped to assess the cost-benefit of top-down policies like the misguided Community Wealth Building Bill - another layer of bureaucracy and expensive officer time in public sector bodies, delivering little in local benefit. If Kevin McKenna is correct ('The last reason to vote SNP has just walked out the door', The Herald, August 5), then perhaps we can look forward to positive change. Unlike Irene Munro, my dismay lies in the lack of attention to detail across all levels of government, including elements of the work of Kate Forbes in her role as Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic. When asked to consider a regulatory change for Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), she said on 24 July 2025 that: 'the management and governance of BIDs in Scotland is not a matter in which the Scottish Government can intervene.' Yet the Scottish Government funds the Scotland's Towns Partnership (STP) to the tune of around £700k a year, and it has a key role in developing BIDs. By way of justification, she described Scotland's BID legislation as 'the most robust' in the UK. If by robust she means that a barber with a single chair, paying rent, electricity, water and insurance, and then £312 a year to a BID company without benefit, redress or relief is robust, then indeed the BID legislation is almost bullet proof. Where it stands on the scale of morality and supporting community wealth building is indeed questionable. The Scottish Government could introduce through statutory instruments a requirement that BID companies keep within levy charge guidelines, or be vetoed, and then task STP to set guidelines that recommend the industry standard of 1% to 2% like the rest of the UK. Kate, like her predecessor Joe FitzPatrick, seems to have a blind spot on this issue, and like many others appears to have been taken in by the greater unregulated BID industry. As a former councillor, I am confident that most businesses would engage with a fair BID, like those in Linlithgow, Stirling, or Falkirk, or indeed in the rest of the UK. But in Scotland fairness for the least powerful is what's missing, and adds further to the cynicism of politics whoever walks out the door. Teresa McNally, Alloa. Fighting talk WITH no end to the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine in sight ('US envoy Witkoff in Moscow for direct talks with Putin over Ukraine', The Herald, August 7), despite the efforts of Western governments to intervene, it is now time for the rhetoric and platitudes to end. Russian President, Vladamir Putin, is sanctioning the daily barbarous bombing of civilian areas of a neighbouring country, resulting in the murder of innocents. This cannot be allowed to continue. Bullies like Putin will only respond to strength, and while accession of Ukraine into NATO is off the table at present, setting an early date for its admittance is far more likely to bring about peace than the deadline set by USA president, Donald Trump, to introduce further sanctions and tariffs on Russia and its Allies. Russia claims their invasion was provoked by the imaginary threat posed by the expansion of NATO on its borders, but under no circumstances would they actually countenance extending their war if faced with the combined might of this Western Alliance. Christopher H Jones, Giffnock. Common sense uncommon HOW did it come to this, that you can lose your job over pronouns, but civil servants at the HMRC can arrange a 'guilty of being British seminar' and keep theirs? Army veteran David Toshack lost his job as a trainee custody officer in Kirkcaldy because he refuses to use the pronoun 'she' for a male to female trans person. Really there should be an attempt at a work around or compromise in situations like this. Using the words 'they', 'them' and 'their' might well be the answer. Similarly, in the Sandie Peggie case it would have been far better to try to find some sort of practical solution, such as giving Dr Beth Upton her own changing room. While Dr Upton has got to be able to change somewhere, she really should have made an effort to see Nurse Peggie's point of view. Of course, compromise and common sense are out of the question as long as transgenderism is a protected characteristic under discrimination law. While mountains are made out of molehills over trans issues, civil servants are free to demonstrate their hatred of Britain. These people are employed to advance the interests of the British state and people. They cannot do this if they hate our country, its history and culture. In a sane world, it wouldn't simply be a matter of cancelling the seminar, but of dismissing those responsible and barring them from all future employment in the public sector. The reason we have got into this mess is that our politicians and civil servants have long since forgotten that their duty is to serve us, not to spend their time promoting revolutionary social change. Otto Inglis, Fife. Fast and loose with truth AM I the only person who gets irritated when a Scottish Government spokesperson claims that they "are working at pace" to deliver some policy or other? This statement was used by the spokesperson who explained why only 2% of buildings with Grenfell Tower type cladding had been addressed after 8 years. Clearly the opposite of "at pace". After the Glen Rosa ferry exited dry dock for repairs and maintenance due to the age of the vessel, the spokesperson grandly told us they were working "at pace" to deliver an 8 year late vessel. Repeated Government spokespeople tell us they are working "at pace" to cut medical waiting times. Oh no, you are most certainly not. I'm sure it's been used to describe progress on the A9 road, too. Can these spin doctors please stop insulting us, the taxpayers, with this outrageous lie 'at pace". Oh, and throw "no stone unturned" into the bin with it. Ian McNair, Cellardyke. Hot and bothered AS the authoritarian ideology of net zero steers us into the stygian darkness of economic failure ('Push to net zero too slow, councils admit', The Herald, August 7) one wonders why the global warming enthusiasts never mention Earth's orbit around the Sun. Probably because nothing can be done about that, and a lot of people would lose a good living from trying to get rid of CO2, which makes the crops and plants grow. Not a good idea really. Plus, it also makes Britain the place to be for mad inventors and subsidy junkies. But back to reality. There is Earth's wobble, for example, which once made a lot of Africa green. Then there is the elongation effect, caused by gravity from other celestial bodies, which produces hotter summers as we get closer to the sun, and colder winters as we get further from the sun. Currently we are in a near-circular orbit, which yields conventional winters and summers. CO2 doesn't have anything to do with it, but gives the global warming industry its expensive lifestyle, and the politicians something to lecture us about, to take our minds off economic failure. Malcolm Parkin, Kinross-shire. Demand and supply I'M surprised that you published Neil MacKay's opinion piece ('Us vs them: why the rich like Musk and Bezos are destroying our world', The Herald, August 7), though in another way I'm glad that you have done so. I hope that you get a great deal of response to it. Neil's conclusion is hopeful… if our political classes can act and do so without fearing the reaction from the rich and powerful. Do our politicians, for example, have enough power to destroy society and rebuild it how they decide it should be? Meanwhile, I would suggest a change to Neil's concluding sentence; where he says: 'There is hope. You just have to want it." The last sentence should perhaps read: 'You just have to demand it.' Ian Gray, Croftamie. Bog standard I REFER to the correspondence concerning the desirability, or otherwise, of residing in Bearsden and / or Milngavie (Letters, August 7). Ian W Thomson asserts that one positive of living in Milngavie is being able to make your way to the start of the West Highland Way. This is true, but a word of warning. Before you do so, make sure that you have dealt with your toilet needs. Unbelievably, there are no public conveniences available. Yet another own goal from East Dunbartonshire Council. James Martin, Bearsden. Mussels should never be missed (Image: Image: Contributed) Mussel-ing in I WAS very interested to read about the variety of life in one of Scotland's remotest lochs ('Divers reveal a wealth of marine life thriving in remote loch', The Herald, August 8), but astounded to see no mention of mussels, which swamped the area some 40 years ago, when I picked up a bag to take home to Beauly, where my father cooked them and served them to his bar customers, free of charge. George F Campbell, Glasgow.
STV News
07-08-2025
- Politics
- STV News
Talk of Blackford running should be taken ‘with huge dose of salt', says Forbes
Talk of former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford running to replace Kate Forbes should be taken with a 'huge dose of salt', the deputy First Minister has said. Forbes announced earlier this week she would be standing down as the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch at next year's election. Newspaper reports subsequently suggested Blackford was considering seeking the nomination after being encouraged by members. But appearing at a live recording of the Herald's Unspun podcast at the Edinburgh Fringe, Forbes said she had spoken to the former MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber in recent days and he had not mentioned considering seeking the seat. The Deputy First Minister said she was taking such reports with a 'huge dose of salt'. 'I had a chat with him a few days ago and that certainly wasn't in the conversation,' she said. Forbes added that the question of her successor becomes an issue for local party members. 'I do think it needs to be a healthy competition and certainly he hasn't told me that,' she added. Asked if she was likely to vote for the former Westminster leader, who was ousted by current incumbent Stephen Flynn, to fill her seat, Forbes refused to be drawn, saying instead that she would wait to see who the candidates were. The deputy First Minister also dodged a question on who would be the next leader of the SNP in her absence. Forbes, Flynn and Housing Secretary Mairi McAllan have widely been seen as the likely contenders in any future contest, but the deputy First Minister said she rejected the premise of the question from a journalist in the audience. She also expanded on her decision for leaving Holyrood next year, saying the ultimate breaking point came following a visit to an Indian orphanage last month. 'I was just really overwhelmed that these kids, these really precious kids, didn't have something that my daughter did have and that my absence from home so often was a serious matter,' she said. 'I realised that in voluntarily signing up for another five years, I was choosing to essentially say goodbye to her every Monday morning and say hello again, hopefully, on a Friday night – on a good week, sometimes on a Saturday night … I just don't have the heart to do that for another five years.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The National
07-08-2025
- Politics
- The National
Kate Forbes opens up on decision to stand down at Holyrood election
The Deputy First Minister told The Herald's Unspun live show at the Edinburgh Fringe that she did not want her announcement to be seen as 'standing down in the face of difficulty'. She also revealed that she had made the decision not to stand again after visiting an orphanage in India on a family trip this summer. Forbes, who represents Skye, Lochaber, and Badenoch, said that she 'didn't have the heart' to put her young daughter through another five years of her being largely absent and 'outsourcing her upbringing'. She added that former SNP MP Ian Blackford had not told her he was going to bid for her seat and said she was taking reports with a 'huge dose of salt'. READ MORE: Rushanara Ali quits after reports of £4000 rent hike for tenants Asked what the reasons were behind her decision not to fight the Holyrood 2026 election, Forbes said she had made the decision in mid-July after the family visit to India. Recounting visiting an orphanage on the trip, she explained: 'I was just really overwhelmed that these kids, these really precious kids, didn't have something that my daughter did have and that my absence from home so often was a serious matter. 'I realised that in voluntarily signing up for another five years, I was choosing to essentially say goodbye to her every Monday morning and say hello again, hopefully, on a Friday night – on a good week, sometimes on a Saturday night … I just don't have the heart to do that for another five years.' Forbes added: 'Every election is a choice, and to voluntarily choose to essentially outsource my daughter's upbringing was a sacrifice too far. 'So whilst it was a really difficult decision, and has been a difficult decision – I don't want to let people down – I'm conscious of the impact it will have on my own patch, when you boil it down like that, it becomes a really easy decision and a really simple decision to make. 'I came back from India mid-July thinking that I knew what I needed to do. And then obviously I had to have conversations that I needed to have.' Forbes said that she hoped her departure from politics would force the Scottish Parliament to 'fix the basics' and give MSPs more nursery hours to allow them to do their job whilst having a family life. 'I'd love that to be one of the changes that my decision delivers, because there are other mums and dads in that Parliament, some of whom will be elected for the first time in the next election. 'I think that's the least we can do to support carers and parents to ensure that there is a facility that is not limited to three hours per day.' She added that politics had become a 'pretty brutal' place, adding that social media had become 'much more toxic' in recent years and that has translated into 'real-life abuse'. 'The world is an angrier place,' she said. 'I find that really exhausting. It's a tough gig.' 'I think you get used to the anger,' she added. 'I am not a quitter, my choice to stand down is not – I don't want to be characterised as quitting in the face of difficulty. 'I have made that decision with all polling suggesting that I would win my constituency seat. I'm not a quitter. But I do find that argument absolutely exhausting.' Forbes announced on Monday that she wouldn't be seeking re-election to spend more time with her young family, and told the event she didn't know what she would be doing next. READ MORE: John Swinney to consider imposing state boycott on Israel After her announcement, reports surfaced suggesting Blackford, the former MP for Ross, Skye, and Lochaber, was considering putting himself in the running after encouragement from members. Forbes said that she had spoken to Blackford in recent days and he had not mentioned considering seeking the seat. 'I had a chat with him a few days ago and that certainly wasn't in the conversation,' she said. Forbes added that the question of her successor is an issue for local party members. 'I do think it needs to be a healthy competition and certainly he hasn't told me that,' she added. The DFM refused to be drawn on if she would vote for Blackford to be her successor, adding that she would wait to see who the candidates are.
The National
07-08-2025
- Politics
- The National
SNP call for Keir Starmer to 'immediately' sack Rushanara Ali
The MP for Bethnal Green and Stepney has previously been vocal on renters' rights and has spoken out against 'private renters being exploited". READ MORE: As Ian Blackford considers a return, it's time to look at political comebacks Under Labour's Renters' Rights Bill, the UK Government plans to bring the private rented sector within the minimum standard set for social housing, and would ban landlords who end a tenancy to sell a property from re-listing it for six months. SNP Westminster depute leader, Pete Wishart MP, said: 'Once this shameful story broke, Labour's homelessness minister should have immediately resigned. The fact that she still hasn't means this is now a direct test of Keir Starmer - he needs to sack her immediately. 'It is a statement of the blinding obvious that a homelessness minister who made money by putting people on the street can't stay in office. 'If this Minister is still in post by the end of the day it will expose how weak the Prime Minister is and just how out of touch this UK Labour Government are. 'This time last year the public were learning of the free clothes given to the Prime Minister, now we are hearing about a Labour minister profiteering by putting tenants on the street. "The last year has exposed example after example that this UK Labour government aren't on the public's side – they are up to their necks in sleaze every bit as deeply as the Tories they replaced. 'For those of us in Scotland, this is the same story of Westminster sleaze on repeat - it is one more reminder why it is so important that we take our future into our own hands and become an independent country.'
