A Scottish National Party MP has taken a swipe at Nicola Sturgeon over the separatist movement’s reliance on the former First Minister’s personality.
Mhairi Black, who confirmed she will not seek re-election later this year, said she was “uncomfortable” with the SNP’s dependence on Sturgeon.
The SNP’s deputy leader in Westminster stressed the former First Minister’s departure from Bute House was “quite healthy because I’m a big believer in politics should be about policy as opposed to personality”.
Black also revealed she has not missed Sturgeon since she stood down last March.
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on the way to the last session of First Minister's Questions in the Scottish Parliament
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However, the 29-year-old Paisley & Renfrewshire South MP predicted Sturgeon would “still have a part to play in future years”.
When asked if the “cult of personality” was a problem for the SNP, Black said: “For me personally, yes, it always made me quite uncomfortable.
“But as I say, I do think she’s certainly one of the best, if not the best, performing politicians that I’ve seen.”
She added: “There’s a balance to be struck and I’m not convinced that we always got the balance right.”
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Scottish Nationalist Party local candidate Mhairi Black speaks during a general election campaign event
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Sturgeon was among the leading SNP figures to share her thoughts on Black’s decision to stand down, stressing she hoped it was only “temporary”.
The former First Minister was embroiled in Police Scotland’s Operation Branchform investigation into SNP finances following her departure.
She was arrested but was later released pending further investigation.
Black was also scathing about some of her SNP colleagues in Westminster.
She said: “I’ve seen folk who you would have thought would have been the first one marching to the border with a claymore but now absolutely love being in London. I wouldn’t have expected that.”
irst Minister Humza Yousaf attends the memorial service for former Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling at St Margaret's Episcopal Cathedral
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The SNP has been struggling to retain the support it garnered in the 2019 general election.
A recent Redfield & Wilton opinion poll put the SNP two points behind Labour on 34 per cent, down from 45 per cent last time around.
Such a result could prove integral to Labour entering Downing Street and comes just a decade after the SNP redraw the political map by turning large swathes of red Scotland yellow for the first time.
Despite wavering support for the SNP, support for Scottish independence remains on a knife-edge.
The same Redfield & Wilton survey gave the “no” campaign a two point unweighted lead.