Flynn mulls Holyrood move but says he has not considered run for SNP leadership

Stephen Flynn has insisted becoming SNP leader is not something he has “actively considered” – though he added that if the top post in his party becomes vacant he will think about it.

The SNP Westminster leader is mulling over whether to make the switch from the House of Commons to Holyrood, saying he will make a decision well ahead of the next Scottish Parliament election in May 2026.

A move to Holyrood could put him in prime position to become the next leader of the party – despite John Swinney insisting he was “no caretaker” when he took on the job in May this year.

Mr Flynn said he was “genuinely just glad” Mr Swinney had taken on the role – but the current Scottish First Minister could come under pressure from within his party if the SNP loses power at Holyrood in the 2026 vote.

Asked if he is going to stand for Holyrood in that election, Mr Flynn said: “I’ve just not made up my mind.”

Briefing Scottish political journalists at the House of Commons, the Aberdeen South MP said he will “make a decision early next year”.

He said a possible future in the Scottish Parliament is not “something that’s been at the forefront of my thought process”, adding he had been “fairly focused on the general election campaign”.

He was one of just nine SNP MPs elected in July, as the party’s group at the Commons plummeted from the 48 seats it won in the 2019 ballot.

Mr Flynn said he has his family and his constituents in Aberdeen South to consider when thinking about his future.

“I think it is important in politics you take your time, you make a reasoned judgment,” he said.

“I am not going to rush into anything. I’m going to give myself the time to think about it.”

Asked directly if he could be party leader, the MP said: “I think everyone, and this applies whether you are in politics, or business or the third sector, should always be confident in your abilities and what it is that you believe in.”

But he insisted taking charge of his party “is just not something I have put a great deal of thought into”.

With the SNP having had three leaders since the start of 2023, Mr Flynn added: “If I had been mad keen for it I would have put my head above the parapet.

“I didn’t because I thought others were better placed.

“Just as when I am considering whether I want to run for Holyrood or not, if a time ever came for a vacancy at the top of party I would put the same kind of thought in, but it is not something I have actively considered.

“I am genuinely just glad we have got John Swinney in charge of the party and in charge of the Government right now.”

Mr Flynn’s comments came as he said the SNP will be “using any means that we can” to make its arguments at Westminster.

As a result of the SNP no longer being the third largest party in the Commons, Mr Flynn does not now get a weekly question in Prime Minister’s Questions.

While he accepted “the agenda in Westminster is set by the Government”, he added: “That doesn’t mean to say you can’t use parliamentary process to try and change people’s perceptions of the big issues that are being talked about, or make sure that things you believe in are being spoken about.”

However he ruled out “stunts” such as the walkout staged by his predecessor Ian Blackford – who was kicked out of the Commons in June 2018 for repeatedly challenging the Speaker, with a number of SNP MPs walking out in solidarity with him.

Mr Flynn said: “I’m not really one for stunts. I think in order to have a bit of credibility with the public, particularly when you are dealing with serious issues, you need to act in a serious fashion.

“It is very difficult to get your view across in a room if you are choosing to walk out of it.

“Ultimately there is a finite number of times you can throw a hissy fit and walk out of a room. Others have done it in the past to great effect, but they have done it once, it is not something you do twice or three times.

“We will focus on using any means that we can, within the rules, and perhaps bending rules at certain points, to make sure our views are made properly.”