THE SNP Wesminster tonight u-turned on his bid to “double-job” as an MP and MSP after a furious internal Nats backlash.
Stephen Flynn admitted he’d “got this one wrong” as he climbed down from the attempt to straddle Holyrood and Westminster.
Stephen Flynn faced backlash over his plans for a dual mandate[/caption]
His move sparked fury as the SNP – and Mr Flynn himself – had blasted others including ex Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross for holding a similar “dual mandate”, arguing a politician can only fulfil one role properly.
And SNP MSPs had lined up to criticise the Aberdeen South MP after he announced he’d try to unseat fellow Nats MSP Audrey Nicoll in order to grab a Holyrood seat.
Last night, 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.”
A spokesman for Mr Flynn said he still intends to stand for Holyrood in 2026 – meaning a Westminster by-election would be triggered if he succeeds.
Mr Flynn added: “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.”
His move came hours after SNP Public Finance minister Ivan McKee said it was “not sustainable” to hold both roles.
And sources said a majority of the Nats’ National Executive Committee was opposed to dual mandates – meaning he could have been barred from doing so anyway.
It also emerged that in January 2020, Mr Flynn – elected as MP for Aberdeen South in December 2019 – said he would step down as an Aberdeen councillor due to the twin commitments.
Mr Flynn said at the time: “I have also consistently stated that it is not practically possible to serve a full term in a parliament and dedicate time to be an effective local councillor.”
Last week, we revealed how fellow SNP MSP Emma Roddick even branded Mr Flynn a “p***k” over his double-job bid in a dig on X/Twitter.
