Ian Blackford has resigned after five years as Westminster leader of the SNP. In a statement he said the time was right for ‘fresh leadership’ and that he will not be standing for reelection at the group’s AGM next week. The announcement comes just a fortnight after the Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP survived an attempted coup. He is continuing as an MP.
Just weeks ago Blackford survived a challenge from the Aberdeen South MP, Stephen Flynn, who attempted to overthrow him. SNP backbenchers had grown unhappy with Blackford’s leadership after several scandals during his tenure.
Flynn had been on manoeuvres against Blackford for months. Making his move, he informed the party’s compliance officer Ian McCann he planned to challenge Blackford at the Westminster group’s AGM in December. The next step of the plan was for a gang of so-called men in grey kilts, led by culture spokesman Brendan O’Hara, to tell their leader he had to go before the meeting. Despite MPs privately briefing that they would be happy with ‘anyone but Blackford’, he saw off the challenge and persuaded Flynn to withdraw. It’s not clear what persuaded him to do so, but Flynn later confirmed in a tweet that he was not standing.
That was the second coup attempt Blackford survived this year, after Alyn Smith and Stewart McDonald reportedly tried to oust him in March – though Smith, Stewart and Blackford all deny this ever happened.
Blackford became viewed with increasing resentment within the Westminster SNP group because of a number of scandals that have occurred on his watch. He’s walked into traps over factual inaccuracies: earlier this year he claimed the UK would continue to pay the state pension in an independent Scotland. He’s also fallen out with rebellious backbencher Joanna Cherry – something almost uniquely rare within the SNP – over the battle between transgender and women’s rights.
But what seems to have tipped things over the edge is his handling of the Patrick Grady scandal. Grady had been found guilty by a Commons investigation of sexually harassing a young staffer while serving as chief whip. Blackford came under heavy criticism after a recording was leaked from an SNP group meeting where he urged his MPs to offer the perpetrator ‘as much support as possible’. At the same time the victim felt ‘unsupported’ and ‘ambushed’ by Blackford who had made him attend a meeting with Grady. Privately, MPs felt the party was badly exposed by the incident, given a similar cover up with the Tory deputy chief whip had led to the resignation of Boris Johnson. The handling of the Grady scandal was something that made the argument that an independent Scotland under the SNP would be free of sleaze somewhat less convincing.
Blackford’s departure indicates a new chapter in Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership of the party. The SNP, at Holyrood and in London, are both infamous and envied for their strict party discipline. Stepping out of line can result in loss of funding and party support and even complete ostracisation by the party machine.
But now rebels are growing in confidence. First came Cherry’s outspoken criticism of the party on bullying and women’s rights. Now comes this resignation just weeks after a coup attempt, which also follows seven MSPs breaking the whip over a vote on gender recognition reforms – the first time a minister had resigned on a point of principle in the party’s entire history.
Two clear factions are emerging within the SNP. They’re split on trans rights and how best to move the independence movement forward. But they’re not about to come to a head. Figures within the party now suggest Flynn may be successful on a second attempt. He is said to have the ‘broad support’ of MPs and may be the only candidate to stand.
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