Dave Doogan named leader of the SNP Westminster group

Dave Doogan has been named the leader of the SNP group at Westminster.

The MP for Angus and Perthshire Glens has taken over from Stephen Flynn, after he was elected to the Scottish Parliament last week.

Legislation passed by Reform MSP Graham Simpson in the last session of Holyrood now prevents politicians from holding dual mandates.

Doogan will lead the group, which will soon be reduced to just seven pending by-elections. Both Flynn and Stephen Gethins, who was also elected to Holyrood, have less than 50 days to resign their seats.  

Doogan has previously served as the SNP's spokesperson on the economy, energy and defence, was previously the leader of the SNP group on Perth and Kinross Council, and has worked as an aircraft engineer for the Ministry of Defence specialising in Sea King Search and Rescue Aircraft.

He said he is “delighted” to have been elected leader of the party at Westminster, “at a crucial time for Scotland's future and our journey to independence”.

He said: “While Westminster is, yet again, consumed by chaos and bitter infighting, I will be laser-focused on the issues that really matter to people in Scotland. That means demanding urgent action on the cost of living – and securing a fresh start from the constant crisis of Westminster control as an independent country.

“Throughout my time as an MP, broken Britain has lurched from one crisis to another – and Scotland has been dragged into a constant cycle of chaos, falling living standards and economic decline under Westminster control.

“We've had the folly of Brexit, which was imposed against Scotland's will and wiped billions of pounds from our economy – making us all poorer.

“We've had a never-ending cost of living emergency, with the scandal of a Westminster government that is forcing families in energy-rich Scotland to pay sky-high bills while destroying thousands of our vital Scottish energy jobs.

“And we've had a litany of broken promises and scandals from a chaotic, self-serving Westminster government – with Keir Starmer's Labour Party every bit as bad as the Tories before them.

“The current crisis of Keir Starmer's leadership shows no matter how many times Westminster shuffles the deck chairs on the Titanic nothing ever changes – and people in Scotland always lose out.

“Everyday, families in Scotland are paying the price for Westminster failure. I will do everything I can to hold the UK Government to account and secure that fresh start of independence, so Scotland can use our huge energy wealth to lower bills and invest in our communities.”

Flynn said: “While it might not be the resignation everyone in Westminster was waiting for, I have left my role as the SNP leader at Westminster before I soon depart full-time to Scotland’s national parliament.

“I want to congratulate Dave Doogan on his unanimous election. At a time when the Labour government is plunging the UK into yet another crisis, while families suffer from the soaring cost of living, it has never been more important to have strong SNP voices standing up for Scotland and our future as an independent country.”