SNP’s John McNally to stand down at next general election

John McNally, SNP MP for Falkirk, has shared his decision to stand down at the next general election.

McNally, 72, wrote: “It has been a privilege to speak on behalf of such a vibrant community. The people are not just constituents to me but are friends, colleagues, neighbours and family.”

Sharing his resignation letter on Twitter, McNally has become the seventh SNP MP to announce their resignation before the next general election, set to take place by January 2025.

It comes after last week’s news that the SNP’s deputy leader Mhairi Black would not be contesting her seat as the Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP, describing Westminster as “a toxic environment”.

In his resignation letter, McNally thanked his staff “who have tirelessly forged links with the community and who have been there for families throughout good and bad times”.

Having joined the SNP in 2000, McNally was first elected as the MP for Falkirk in 2015, receiving the largest number of votes by any Scottish MP at the 2015 general election.

He was the chair of the now-defunct all-party parliamentary group on the hair industry, having previously owned a barber shop in Denny for over thirty years.

Speaking to Holyrood in 2020, McNally emphasised his feelings that the hairdressing industry is underestimated. “There’s more than 340,000 employed [in the sector], there’s more than 30,000 business and it contributes around £6.6bn to the economy”.