Former SNP MP says losing third place in Westminster 'is a good thing'

A former SNP MP has said his party losing third place in Westminster "is a good thing".

Alyn Smith - who suffered a shock loss to Labour in Stirling and Strathallan - said the party slipping behind the Lib Dems would "free up our MPs from pointless busywork and covering events rather than driving our priorities."

The SNP had been the third biggest party in Westminster since 2015, which had given its Commons leader Stephen Flynn a slot at PMQs every week.

Smith was one of dozens of SNP MPs who lost their seats in a disastrous election on Thursday.

He said the party's structures and staffing are "not fit for purpose" and slammed its "lacklustre and reactive" campaign.

But he did not blame party leader John Swinney for the result, although he did have a go at the way the Michael Matheson iPad scandal was handled.

Smith wrote in The National: “We cannot run away from the fact we didn’t just lose, we lost very badly. We need a moor burn and everything needs to be on the table.

“None of last Thursday’s events lie at John Swinney’s door, the tram tracks were laid long since and the malaise is deeper

“For a few years now, I fear we have collectively looked out of touch and unresponsive. The party put more resource than ever into polling and focus groups, then ignored their findings.

“There’s a need for an honest appraisal of whether the party structures and staffing are fit for purpose. I would suggest not.

“I’ll always be true to independence in Europe and believe we have plenty reasons to be confident. But not unless we change.”

He continued: “People were telling us they were concerned about the cost of living and the state of the NHS and public services, we have simply not been talking their language.

“We also did not adequately defend the record of the Scottish Government from the scorched earth onslaught we have been subject to for years.

“Too many people do not believe us when we tell them things are better in Scotland. They are unimpressed that we seem so unresponsive to their genuine criticism and concern.”

He was also particularly critical of the way in which the Matheson scandal was dealt with by the SNP branding it “the defence of the indefensible”.

He added: “You put on a brave face for the sake of the party and the cause, and for a few weeks I’m not going to do that anymore.

“We need to reflect deeply on why and how we regain trust.

“Losing third party status at Westminster is a good thing. It will free up our MPs from pointless busywork and covering events rather than driving our priorities.

“We need an entirely new structure for our Westminster group and a new job spec for our MPs and I am glad Stephen Flynn has started that process.”

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