The Times reports that Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn is trying to defend the incumbent Westminster party leader. However, Flynn denied the report on social media, saying he had no intention of standing up. Sources told the newspaper that Flynn had the support of enough MPs to win a potential leadership contest and unseat MPs Ross, Skye and Lochaber. Blackford has led the SNP down south since 2017 but could stand down next month, the Times reports. Flynn had reportedly tabled a proposal for a leadership vote at the group’s annual general meeting next month. An SNP source in the North East said: “Ian Blackford and Stephen Flynn are both highly respected and capable politicians. “It is important that internal democracy is allowed to take place without remarks of a ‘coup’ as Steven Flynn has proven to be part of the new wave of fresh talent in the SNP’s ranks. “Flynn would undoubtedly make an excellent leader for the party at Westminster, particularly as someone who is from the North East and has proven to be extremely talented, hard-working and focused on convincing people of the positive case for Scottish independence.” It will mark his appearance on BBC Question Time later tonight. Flynn is reported to have been “maneuvering for some time”, according to an unnamed MP quoted in the Times – with The National’s sources backing this up. There is reportedly concern in the SNP’s Westminster group over Blackford’s handling of the Patrick Grady scandal, in which MPs were encouraged to back the disgraced Glasgow North East MP, who had been sanctioned by parliament for fondling a junior employee. A leaked recording of a meeting of SNP MPs revealed that Blackford had urged colleagues to rally around Grady – something for which he was later forced to apologise. Grady – who is no longer in the SNP caucus – was found by an independent investigation to have behaved inappropriately towards a member of staff at a party event in 2016 and was suspended from Parliament for two days. The victim was a teenager at the time.
