Ash Regan to stand for SNP leader

[ArabellaScott]

'Ash Regan, the minister who spearheaded the biggest rebellion in SNP history when she resigned her community safety post to oppose Sturgeon’s bill, has told friends she is likely to run for the leadership. She urged former SNP members who quit over Sturgeon’s stance on transgender rights to rejoin the party and participate in the election.'

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0729010a-adf0-11ed-91ef-347dcf6a25f6?shareToken=7e340d6ac34e89f376ed9568b12bef1a

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/02/16/snp-minister-ash-regan-revolt-sturgeon-gender-reforms-surprise/

news.sky.com/story/rebel-msp-ash-regan-has-thrown-hat-into-the-ring-for-snp-leadership-12812489

Ash Regan resigned her ministerial post back in October over the GRR, I assume she'd find it hard to support it now - and it would look hypocritical too.

Thanks, Natasha. If the Greens pull out, couldn't Holyrood simply function as a more collaborative parliament (as was originally intended)? I guess that none of the contenders could say that out loud though...

It's very hard to say. I slightly suspect the SNP membership will be more likely to choose Humza Yousaf as the 'continuity candidate'.

I think most don't back the GRR especially but won't step out of line. As for the de facto referendum ... it's a daft idea as far as I can tell. No idea what SNP members think of it. But yes, they'll probably largely back indie over GRR/women.

Scotparl is split between Independence (SNP/Greens) and Unionists (everyone else).

I have no idea who is the popular candidate, but I am sitting back with the popcorn to enjoy it.

Beats another round of Westminster musical chairs. At this stage it will be an achievement if the Tories end 2023 with the same leader in place.

Scotparl is split between Independence (SNP/Greens) and Unionists (everyone else).

But at the moment there is some sort of formal pact between the Greens and SNP. Apparently if the Westminster block of the GRR isn't challenged Harvie and Slater would resign - that would be an added bonus...

This is false.

NEC attempted to change the party constitution to bring this about, but were ultimately overruled by the leadership. There is absolutely nothing preventing any SNP MP standing as an MSP. Joanna Cherry opted not to stand in Edinburgh Central once she realised she had absolutely no support within the party to do so.

Oh, really? Okay, apologies if I missed the latter part of that playing out!

Say what the Green Party idiots could resign. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🥃🥃🥃

go on do it leave us berefit but yet be gone you lot who helped to ruin Scotland

This isn't right either.

The SNP Constitution doesn't directly address candidate eligibility; it charges the NEC with setting out rules for each election, in line with Standing Orders and driven by the membership via the National Conference.

In August 2020, the NEC set rules for the Holyrood elections of May 2021. This introduced the requirement for sitting MPs to resign before standing as MSPs. SNP MPs weren't prevented from standing, but it did become significantly more complicated and most who had expressed an interest before the change abandoned their plans to avoid closing their constituency offices and dismissing their staff. A group of SNP parliamentarians wrote to the FM protesting the policy, to no avail. There was also a court case by an SNP activist that went nowhere.

The rule absolutely was binding for the last Holyrood election. Here's Neil Grey, the only SNP MP who actually did stand as an SNP MSP (although two other SNP MPs switched party and stood) explaining why he had to resign. It's ultimately up to the NEC to keep, change, or discard this requirement when the rules for the next Holyrood election are set.