SNP Westminster chief Ian Blackford broke his silence on reports of a leadership rebellion by claiming he will stick around long enough to lead the group out of the Commons “for the last time”.
The bold claim comes days after Dundee-born MP Stephen Flynn denied launching a bid to overthrow the leader.
Mr Blackford, MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, addressed reports of a plot during an event hosted by the Work Foundation at Lancaster University on Wednesday.
‘I look forward to doing that again’
Asked if he is confident he retains the confidence of a majority of SNP MPs, he said: “I’ve been privileged to be a member of parliament since 2015 and I’ve been the leader of the SNP since 2017.
“I have to put myself up for re-election every year. That’s part of our standing orders. And I look forward to doing that again.
“I look forward to being the MP that leads the SNP group out of Westminster for the last time.”
Mr Flynn, who defeated the Tories in 2019 to take the Aberdeen South seat, quickly looked to quash reports of a revolt when they broke last week.
He stated: “I can confirm I’ve no intention of standing.”
Mr Blackford previously faced calls to resign over his handling of sexual misconduct allegations against MP Patrick Grady.
He was criticised for not forcing Mr Grady to step down as the SNP’s chief whip when accusations against him first emerged.
He came under further pressure when he was heard saying the disgraced MP should be supported by his colleagues in a leaked audio.
Earlier in the year, he was forced to deny reports he might stand down from his post.
Conversation