4 days ago
SNP in chaos as Ian Blackford is lined up for comeback in wake of Forbes exit
The former leader of the SNP at Westminster has revealed he is being encouraged to seek a shock return to frontline politics following Kate Forbes ' decision to quit.
Ian Blackford said he has had calls from supporters urging him to stand in the Deputy First Minister's current constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch at next year's Holyrood elections. He said he will give it 'careful consideration'.
He previously opted not to put his name forward to be a candidate and last night said that standing in the election 'is not what I had in mind' prior to Ms Forbes' announcement that she would not seek re-election.
Any return could reignite tensions with current SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, who successfully ousted him in a coup and is also now seeking to be elected to Holyrood.
It will also anger some in the party who were unhappy with his performance in the Commons, including his handling of controversies like the harassment complaint against his former chief whip Patrick Grady.
It comes as Ms Forbes refused to rule out making a return to politics in the future and condemned the lack of support for MSPs who are parents.
In response to rumours circulating in the Highlands that he is now set to replace her as candidate for the seat, Mr Blackford told the Mail: 'One or two people have approached me and I am grateful that people are thinking about me but I've not given any indication one way or another.
'In all honesty, I hadn't really thought about it, it wasn't what I was planning.
'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...'
He said he has had 'a number of phone calls' from people trying to encourage him to stand and admitted that he is 'really worried about the economy' across the UK and wants to look at ways to improve it.
Mr Blackford said it is 'not an easy call' to make and he 'will have to give it careful consideration'.
He previously faced criticism for the way he handled a harassment complaint about Mr Grady from a junior staff member while he was SNP Westminster leader.
His campaign team was also accused of hounding the late former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy ahead of the 2015 general election.
He stood down as MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber at last year's general election, with the SNP going on to lose the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire seat which replaced it to Liberal Democrat Angus MacDonald.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: 'We'd be delighted to have Ian Blackford as an opponent. He's been a controversial figure in the Highlands for many years and we'd relish making the case that the SNP have failed on access to health and the state of the local economy.
'It was poetic to see Charles Kennedy's - and Ian Blackford's - former seat return to the Lib Dems at last year's election but it would have been even sweeter to have defeated a former SNP Westminster leader.
'I have no doubt that the Lib Dems' Andrew Baxter could defeat Ian Blackford if the humble crofter chooses to throw his hat in the ring.'
A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: 'Any return of Ian Blackford to frontline politics would threaten to tear apart the SNP.
'Key figures would be fighting like Nats in a sack and old wounds would instantly be reopened.
'If John Swinney and Stephen Flynn had any hair left they'd be ripping it out at the prospect of their former Westminster leader looking to come back and settle some old scores.'
If he opted to put himself forward, Mr Blackford would need to secure agreement from party HQ and the local constituency as he is not currently an approved and vetted candidate.
He said: 'I suppose it depends on how people look at the change in circumstances (caused by Ms Forbes' resignation) if they would want to open things up, I don't know, I couldn't tell you that.'
Asked if he would be thinking about it in the coming days, he said: 'Yeah, we'll see. Over the last wee while I've commented on issues of defence, economy and so on, and I'm still a member of the Committee of Standards in Public Life.
'I have an interest in where we are and obviously happy to have an input into our political discourse. Whether this is what I need to do to do that I don't know, in all honesty.'
Mr Blackford praised the 'positive contribution' Ms Forbes had made as an MSP and minister and said it was 'sad she had taken the decision for her own reasons that she has to move on'.
Meanwhile, Ms Forbes yesterday suggested she could seek a return to politics in the future following her announcement that she would stand down at next year's election.
Asked by BBC Good Morning Scotland's presenter Gary Robertson if she could return to politics at some point in the future, she said: 'Maybe Gary, I don't know if you will still be around in 20 years time. We will maybe have a conversation at this point.'
She also called for a change in how parents in Holyrood are supported after she announced her decision to stand down because she didn't want to "miss any more of the precious early years of family life".
She said children can only be in the parliament creche for three hours a day, and said: 'If you want a diverse representative parliament who can speak for all constituent parts of Scottish society then you want parents in there too.
'If the parents feel they have to leave because of that lack of support then it means that parents outside parliament are less represented.'
