Ian Murray piles pressure on Stephen Flynn by backing double jobbing ban
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray has piled pressure on Stephen Flynn by backing a ban on double jobbing. The SNP Westminster leader caused uproar after saying he wants to be an MSP in 2026 while holding on to his Westminster seat.
Colleagues are unhappy he is trying to elbow sitting SNP MSP Audrey Nicoll out of the way and believe he is undermining the party’s anti-double jobbing line.
MSPs are to set to vote on a ban next month that would block Flynn’s dual mandate ambitions. Murray, who sits in Keir Starmer’s Cabinet, is supporting Holyrood clamping down on politicians who want to be MSPs and MPs at the same time.
Asked at Westminster if he wanted double jobbing consigned to the past, he said: “The Scottish Parliament can essentially put together the rules and regulations which they want to do. I know individual parties do that as well.
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“I know individual parties do that as well. Double jobbing is something that I would find incredibly difficult. There’s not enough time in the day to do one job, let alone two, particularly if we want to represent our constituents properly as well.
“I would have thought that double jobbing is something that we would want to make sure doesn’t happen. It has of course happened in the past, but everyone sitting round this table will know how difficult it is being a constituency MP, let alone having other responsibilities as well. So, yes, I would have thought the Scottish Parliament may want to look at that.”
Labour and the Greens are supporting Tory MSP Graham Simpson’s amendment to elections legislation which would ban dual mandates. If passed, it would require MPs elected to Holyrood to stand down within eight days. The vote is expected before Christmas.
SNP Ministers have backed a consultation which would likely see any ban come in after the 2026 election.
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