CRITICS have blasted the horde of Nats rejects bidding to enter Holyrood at the next election as wanting to “reboard another gravy train”.
In total there are 18 MPs rejected by voters hoping to become MSPs – with 17 being booted out of Westminster at the last election.
Stephen Flynn is hoping to become an SNP MSP at the next Holyrood election[/caption]
The SNP’s approved list of potential parliamentary candidates – seen by The Scottish Sun – includes dozens of familiar faces trying to move to the Scottish Parliament alongside Nats Westminster chief Stephen Flynn.
Familiar names potentially returning to frontline politics include ex-Stirling MP Alyn Smith, ex-Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss, and ex-MP for North Ayrshire and Arran Patricia Gibson, who was cleared of sexual misconduct against a staff member after a complaint in 2022.
Scottish Labour’s deputy leader Jackie Baillie blasted the Nats for not having “anything new to offer Scots”.
She said: “From offering up the same old candidates to reheating the same old political arguments, the SNP really doesn’t have anything new to offer Scots.
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“None of these familiar SNP figures are capable of cleaning up the mess the current crop of SNP MSPs have made of Scotland’s public services.”
And Scottish Tory deputy leader Rachael Hamilton added: “It doesn’t say much for the talent in the SNP ranks that the best they have to offer Scots is a bunch of ex-MPs who were turfed out of the Commons last year and now want to reboard another gravy train.”
The mass migration of failed Nats comes after the SNP’s near wipeout at last year’s general election where John Swinney’s party lost 39 seats.
Three current MPs also want to stand including SNP Westminster chief Stephen Flynn, MP for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, Stephen Gethins, and Angus and Perthshire Glens MP Dave Doogan.
SNP rules also require those standing for Holyrood to resign their seats in Westminster.
This would mean three Westminster by-elections if the three sitting MPs win their respective selection battles and are chosen as candidates for the 2026 election.
New Holyrood rules have also banned so-called “double-jobbing” for MPs and peers – ending the practice of holding a seat in both the House of Commons and the Scottish Parliament.
Three special advisers – politically appointed civil servants – are also hoping to be chosen as MSP candidates.
They are ex-local government minister Marco Biagi, ex-adviser to Humza Yousaf Jack Middleton, and ex-SNP digital guru Olaf Stando.
SNP work and pensions secretary Kirsty Blackman insisted the rehashed candidates demonstrated the party had a “huge amount of talent” and rejected the suggestion there was a “talent drain”.
She said: “I’ve seen the list of proposed candidates, and there is a huge amount of talent on there, and actually, I don’t feel annoyed at people who are choosing to stand down.
“If you’ve had 27 years in public life, it takes a massive personal drain.”
The SNP were contacted for comment.
SNP MPs after the 2019 election[/caption]
