Ian Blackford has resigned as leader of the SNP group at Westminster.
In a statement, he said: “After more than five years in the role, now is the right time for fresh leadership at Westminster as we head towards a general election and the next steps in winning Scotland’s independence.
“During my time as leader, the SNP won a landslide victory in the 2019 general election, with an increased share of the vote and MPs, and support for independence has continued to grow with polling this week showing a majority in favour.”
The MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber is tipped to be replaced by Stephen Flynn, who mounted an unsuccessful coup attempt against him two weeks ago.
Yesterday, Blackford called on the prime minister to “admit that Brexit is a significant long-term cause of the UK economic crisis”, branding the UK’s departure from the European Union the “elephant in the room that neither the Tories or Labour are willing to confront”.
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