Mhairi Black has announced she is stepping down as an MP at the next election.
The Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP and SNP Deputy Westminster leader said this afternoon that Westminster is a “toxic workplace” that has taken its toll on her “body and mind” resulting in her decision to step down.
Speaking to The News Agents host, Emily Maitlis, Paisley born and bred Black said: “I suppose I wanted to be able to have a human conversation about why I’ve made the decision not to stand at the next general election.
“And I thought there is no better person to have a conversation with than yourself.
“I’m stepping down at the next general election.”
Asked why she made the decision, she said: “Honestly, because I’m tired, is a big part of it. And the thing that makes me tired is Westminster.
“I think it is one of the most unhealthy workplaces that you could ever be in. It’s a toxic environment.
“Just the entire design of the place and how it functions is just the opposite of everything that I find comfortable.
“It’s definitely a poisonous place. Whether that’s because of what folk can get away with in it or the number of personal motivations and folk having ulterior motives for things, and it’s just not a nice place to be in.
“I suppose I’m talking more about how it’s difficult to know if somebody is, certainly from other parties, is talking to you because there’s a genuine relationship there or whether their looking for opportunities.
“You can never really switch off when you’re in Westminster.”
Black has previously criticised Westminster making her views publicly known.
Just two months after her election, she commented that the practice of making MPs vote in person, instead of electronically, was “outdated and wasted time” and in a 2016 interview with Owen Jones, Black labelled Westminster as an “old boys’ club” and “so excluded from reality”, while expressing concern about the arrogance and sexism from other MPs.
Nicola Sturgeon has said she is “gutted” Black is standing down.
The former First Minister said she hoped Black’s departure from politics would be “temporary” and expressed a wish for her to stand for Holyrood.
Sturgeon tweeted: “Both gutted by and entirely understanding of this. Her reasons resonate. But what a loss of a unique talent, not just to @theSNP but to politics generally. I only hope it’s temporary. The world needs more Mhairi Blacks in politics, not fewer. I hope we will see her in @ScotParl in future.”
When elected in May 2015, Black was just 20-years-old and became the UK’s youngest MP for hundreds of years.
She took the Paisley and Renfrewshire South seat from then Labour shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander in what was described as “unexpected” and an “example of a collapse” of popularity for the Labour Party in Scotland.
Black is now the sixth to announce that they will not be standing for re-election.
She follows former SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie, former Westminster leader Ian Blackford, ex-party treasurer Douglas Chapman and fellow MPs Peter Grant and Angela Crawley in announcing that she will not stand for re-election.
Commenting on Mhairi Black’s announcement, First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “It is difficult to overstate the impact that Mhairi Black has had on Scottish and UK politics since her election in 2015 as the youngest MP ever, and more recently as Deputy Leader of the SNP at Westminster.
“She has been a trailblazer - a passionate supporter of independence, equality, social justice, and simply of trying to make life better for her constituents and the wider Scottish public. She has also served as a role model for young people, especially women, with an interest or a desire to get involved in politics.
“I know that Mhairi has been critical of the toxic, hostile environment of Westminster, which serves as an important wake-up call to those who are determined to safeguard our democracy. The case for modernising our political system is stark. We must make sure it works for everyone, so we don’t deter people from standing for election or speaking out for what they believe in.
“Despite choosing not to stand again as an MP, I know Mhairi will continue to make an immense contribution to the cause of independence, and I look forward to working with her in advancing our cause.”
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