Stephen Flynn backs down on bid to be both an MP and an MSP

Last week he announced he will seek the nomination for the Aberdeen South and North Kincardine seat at Holyrood currently held by the party’s Audrey Nicoll.

However, he also said he would look to continue as an MP until the next election, sparking an internal backlash within the SNP.

The SNP has been vocal in its criticism of dual mandates, repeatedly attacking former Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross when he sat in both parliaments, and Mr Flynn has been criticised by party colleagues for seeking a dual mandate.

In a statement on Thursday evening, Mr Flynn said: “Hands up, I’ve got this one wrong and won’t be pursuing a dual mandate.

“My aim to save the public purse from unnecessary strain by potentially overlapping the role of an MP and an MSP for a short period until the next General Election was genuine in its intent - but doing it for the right reasons doesn’t change the fact that I got it wrong.

“My motivation and central belief remains that Holyrood, as the heart of Scottish democracy, is the democratic platform that will drive the route to an independent Scotland. All of us in the independence movement share that common cause and want to be part of that story.

“Alongside all SNP members, I now look forward to assessing the new candidate selection rules that my party will put in place.”

Earlier, party leader and First Minister John Swinney said warned double jobbing as an MP and MSP is “very demanding”.

Mr Swinney served as both an MP and MSP in the early days of devolution.

“Having had a dual mandate, it is practically very, very demanding to do so,” he told journalists in Holyrood.

“That’s a very real factor that’s got to be considered in any judgement about that issue, because there is a need to undertake demands in both parliaments.”

He added: “I did it for two years and it was very demanding to do it. That has to be borne in mind in any judgements made about whether such an approach is appropriate or not appropriate.”

However, the First Minister heaped praise on Mr Flynn.

Asked if he wanted to see him in Holyrood, Mr Swinney said: “I think Stephen’s got a huge contribution to make. I think he’s one of our great stars. I think Stephen’s got a huge contribution to make to the political activity and agenda of the Scottish National Party. He’s a superb contributor.”

Pushed on whether he should come to Holyrood, he said: “That’s a matter for Stephen to determine, and for party members to determine as they make choices as we go through all of the candidate selection process.

“But let there be absolutely no doubt that I think Stephen Flynn is one of our stars, and I think he’s got a huge contribution to make to our party.”

Mr Swinney said his leadership was about brining the party together. “Now there’s going to be issues that cause disturbance and difficulty in the process, I’m not going to be immune from those challenges,” he said.

“But I think I’ve pretty substantially succeeded in bringing my party together into a much better state of affairs than I inherited in May, and I intend to continue to build from that.”

Ahead of the 2021 Holyrood election, the SNP implemented a rule aimed at stopping MPs from being able to stand for Holyrood without first resigning their Westminster seat.

The change was widely seen as an attempt to prevent the then Edinburgh South West MP Joanna Cherry – a frequent critic of the party hierarchy – from taking a seat in the Scottish Parliament.

It remains for the party’s ruling body – the national executive committee – to decide if the policy will remain in place for the 2026 election. There have been reports that it will maintain the ban.