Former MP Mhairi Black quits SNP

Former SNP MP Mhairi Black has quit the party, saying she has “not agreed with quite a few decisions that have been made” in recent months.

Black, who was deputy leader of the SNP group at Westminster between 2022 and 2024, said she had become particularly concerned about the party’s position on LGBT rights and Palestine.

She stood down as an MP at last year’s general election, blaming the toxic culture at Westminster.

Considered a rising star within the SNP, she was elected at the age of just 20 in 2015 – setting the record for the youngest ever MP – and many had expected her to make a run for Holyrood.

But in an interview with The Herald, Black confirmed she was no longer a member of the SNP.

She said: “Basically, for a long time I’ve not agreed with quite a few decisions that have been made. There have just been too many times when I’ve thought, ‘I don’t agree with what you’ve done there,’ or the decision or strategy that has been arrived at.”

Specifically, she said there had been a “capitulation on LGBT rights, trans rights in particular” and that the party “could be doing better about Palestine as well”.

Black had been a vocal supporter of the introduction of self-ID for trans people, part of the Scottish Government’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill that was ultimately blocked by the last UK Government.

Following a failed legal challenge to that block, the SNP government opted not to pursue any further action.

The former MP has also been critical of deputy first minister Kate Forbes, saying during the 2023 leadership race that Forbes’ views on gay marriage were “archaic” and “quite extreme”.

The contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon saw Forbes admit she would have voted against the introduction of gay marriage had she been an MSP at the time. This led to a significant backlash from many within her party.

Black has since said she would have quit the SNP two years ago, while still an MP, had Forbes become leader.

She said she is “just as pro-independence” as ever, but “probably a bit more left-wing than I have been”. “I don’t think I’ve changed all that much. I feel like the party needs to change a lot more,” she added.

A spokesperson for the SNP said: “The SNP is the largest political party in Scotland, united under John Swinney’s vision of creating a better, fairer Scotland for everyone.

“After a year of disappointment and let downs from the UK Labour government, it’s clear that real change will never come from Westminster and that independence is essential for a better future.”