STEPHEN Flynn has said he thinks that every SNP MP would rather be elected to Holyrood than to Westminster.
In an interview with The Herald, the SNP’s Westminster leader was asked about a variety of topics from the suspension of Angus MacNeil to his life in politics.
Flynn said that he is never in doubt “about the motives of any of my colleagues” and disagrees with the notion that any of them are “settled” in London.
“I struggle with the stuff about them settling down. It doesn’t marry with reality”, he told the newspaper.
“What I see is a group of people who knock their pans in for the cause of independence. They make a lot of sacrifices.
“Why else would they have chosen to leave their families behind and, for many, rewarding and secure careers in other sectors?”
Asked if he would eventually like to pursue a career in Holyrood, Flynn (below) said: “I think almost all SNP MPs would prefer to be elected to Holyrood and not to Westminster.
“However, I won’t try to predict the future. I just need to be true to myself and hope we’re in a good place at the other side of the Westminster election.
“In a recent article I was described as the most ambitious nationalist ever. I am very ambitious, but for Scotland and that’s the most important thing.”
Angus MacNeil
When asked about MacNeil – who was suspended from the Westminster group following a bust-up with chief whip Brendan O’Hara – Flynn said what happens is “out of his hands”.
“For Angus, you don’t get to pick and choose when you get the whip. And maybe he’s beginning to realise that. I don’t have a problem with him having his own views on independence.
“I hope we can get to a point where there’s an amicable outcome, but this requires action on both sides.
“Angus is a good man, his heart’s in the right place. But I’ve been in politics long enough to know what that desired outcomes don’t always happen.”
