Well, well, well. After Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes announced she was stepping down at next year’s Scottish parliament election, speculation about who could stand for her Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency has been rife. Some have suggested that Ian Blackford, the former SNP MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber and onetime Westminster group leader, could make a return to frontline politics by standing for an area he represented down south for almost a decade. So will he make the leap?
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?
Watch the full episode on SpectatorTV:
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