Politics latest: Blackford's exit 'big loss, but no surprise' for SNP; 'We are not arsonists' - minister defends her Brexit bill (2023)

A local council has confirmed details around the recall petition for MP Margaret Ferrier, who was today suspended from the Commons for 30 days.

A penalty of this magnitude results in the petition, and if 10% or more of her constituents sign it, a by-election for her seat of Rutherglen and Hamilton West will be triggered.

South Lanarkshire Council has confirmed the petition will open on 20 June and close on 30 July.

The authority said there would likely be seven locations across the area where people will be able to sign it, and more details will be published in the coming days.

Petitions officer Cleland Sneddon said: "Those wishing to sign the petition will be allocated a petition place similar to the allocation to a polling place."

This is a big loss for the SNP.

Ian Blackford is one of the party's best-known, most experienced faces - but it’s perhaps not a surprise for a number of reasons.

Firstly, Mr Blackford is 62. By standing again, he’d need to commit to being in parliament until he was 68.

Secondly, he's already reached the top. He's was the leader of their Westminster group for five-and-a-half of the eight years he has been in the Commons.

Thirdly, he was deposed from that position by his own MSPs last December.

And finally, he lives far, far from Westminster. He represents Ross, Skye and Lochaber and lives on the Isle of Skye - getting home after a week in parliament involves a flight to Inverness and then a three-and-a-half-hour drive by car to the island, where he has a small farm.

Mr Blackford has been a significant figure - having joined the party in the late seventies, he has been a member for almost 50 years, although briefly was a member of Scottish Labour.

He fell out with former SNP leader Alex Salmond in the late 1990s, although more recently he has been very close to Nicola Sturgeon.

But there has been a generational change in the party, with Ms Sturgeon standing aside.

His constituency is being broken up in the boundary changes taking place before the next election.

SNP sources have told me there’s little chance the Lib Dems will win there. But it will be one to look our for when it comes to next year’s general election.

In other news north of the border, Scotland's transport minister has resigned from the Scottish government due to poor mental health.

Kevin Stewart tendered his resignation to First Minister Humza Yousafon Tuesday.

The MSP for AberdeenCentral admitted having bouts of poor mental health since last October, which returned over the last week.

In his letter, Mr Stewart, 55, said he was quitting from the post with a "heavy heart", but added that being part of the Scottishgovernment had been the "greatest honour" of his life.

He explained: "Since last October I have had bouts of poor mental health, with a low ebb in early December of last year.

"Over the last week or so I have once again been feeling unwell and I feel that I can no longer put in the hours required to serve both my constituents and hold ministerial office, whilst also trying to maintain good mental health.

"I do hope that you understand."

Read more from our Scotland reporter Jenness Mitchell below:

Ian Blackford's successor as Westminster leader has paid tribute to him after the news he will step down as an MP at the next election.

Stephen Flynn MP thanked his colleague for "the massive role he has played in making the SNP the formidable force it is in Scottish and UK politics".

He called Blackford a "stalwart" in the party, who had "played a key role in putting forward the case for Scotland's future as an independent country", as well as being "pivotal" in the SNP's electoral success.

"During his time as SNP Westminster leader, Ian stood across the House of Commons from four Tory prime ministers and was a fierce opponent for every one of them - taking them on over Brexit, austerity cuts, Westminster attacks on devolution, and their undemocratic attempts to deny Scotland's right to choose our own future," added Mr Flynn.

"I know Ian will be sorely missed by his constituents and colleagues when he stands down as an MP, but I am confident that he will have a key role in continuing the campaign for Scotland to become an independent country."

As we have just reported, former SNP Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, has announced he is going to stand down as an MP at the next election.

Here is his statement in full:

"With the SNP selection process for the next Westminster election taking place over the coming weeks, I have thought long and hard about whether to offer myself as a candidate again.

"It has been an enormous privilege to serve as the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber since 2015. I am grateful to the SNP membership for selecting me - and I remain privileged and humbled that people across my home constituency have put their trust in me at three elections.

"Serving as the local MP for this vast and cherished Highland and Island area has always been my priority. I was also honoured to lead the SNP Westminster group for more than five years between 2017 and 2022.

"There were many highlights during that period, including leading the group into the 2019 election and increasing our representation from 35 to 48 seats.

"That campaign was fought on the twin issues of defending Scotland’s right to choose our own future and standing against the impending threat of Brexit. Those issues remain more relevant than ever, as families across Scotland suffer the impact of Brexit and damaging Westminster policies on the cost of living and our economy.

"During my time as Westminster leader I was grateful for the support, not just fromcolleagues in Westminster, but our friends in the Scottish government as we came together as team SNP to oppose Brexit, support the first minister and her team in getting through COVID, as well as standing up for our communities as we continue to battle through the cost of living crisis.

"Having stood down as SNP Westminster leader, I have gone through a period of reflection as to how I can best assist the party and the cause of independence - a cause I have campaigned for since joining the SNP as a teenager in the 1970s.

"Over the last few months, with others, I have been working on producing a paper on mapping Scotland’s Industrial Future. This report will be available over the coming weeks and I am determined that our work can and should lead to a policy response that will see Scotland’s potential being realised through a sustainable enhancement in economic growth, driving investment and better paid jobs in Scotland, raising living standards and, as a result, delivering the wellbeing economy that our new first minister has prioritised.

"I look forward to finishing this work and continuing as the first minister’s business ambassador, on behalf of the SNP.

"I would like to thank all of those who have supported me in my role as an MP. In particular, the staff in my leader’s role and my constituency staff have done an outstanding job and it has been a pleasure to work with each and every one of them.

"Any success we have had has been down to them, we truly have been a team. I have welcomed their wise counsel, support and friendship.

"My last word of thanks must go to my wife Ann, who has had to contend with my long absences on parliamentary activities. She has been my strength and support for all of this time, and I will remain eternally grateful to her. Our wider family have always been supportive and for this I am thankful.

"My desire to see Scotland become an independent country, and for our country and its people to achieve its full potential, remains as strong as when I first entered politics decades ago.

"Although I will not be standing for the Westminster parliament at the next election, I look forward to playing my part in the continuing campaign for Scottish Independence and supporting our first minister and the SNP as we go forward to the next election and beyond.

"Finally, to the voters of Ross, Skye and Lochaber, I once again thank each and every one of you for the opportunity to represent your interests and serve this most special of places – the place I am fortunate to call my home."

The SNP’s former leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, has announced he will stand down as an MP at the next election, Sky News has learned.

Mr Blackford, who has represented Ross, Sky and Lochaber since 2015, led the party in the Commons for five years, with Brexit and COVID dominating his career.

He stood down from that post last December amid reports of a coup from party members, and was replaced by the current leader Stephen Flynn.

But now he has decided to leave Westminster altogether, telling Sky News in a broadcast exclusive that he would be working on a paper on Scotland’s industrial future instead and continuing as his party's business ambassador.

In a lengthy statement, the MP said he had “gone through a period of reflection” since his tenure as leader came to an end on "how I can best assist the party and the cause of independence - a cause I have campaigned for since joining the SNP as a teenager in the 1970s".

Mr Blackford added: “My desire to see Scotland become an independent country, and for our country and its people to achieve its full potential, remains as strong as when I first entered politics decades ago.

"Although I will not be standing for the Westminster parliament at the next election, I look forward to playing my part in the continuing campaign for Scottish independence and supporting our first minister and the SNP as we go forward to the next election and beyond."

Lord Dubs, a Labour peer, and his Conservative counterpart, Lord Robathan, appeared on Sky News today to discuss Rishi Sunak's legislation aimed at tackling small boat crossings - and it got rather heated.

The controversial Illegal Migration Bill is still making its way through the House of Lords, which it will need to clear in order to become law.

You can hear more of what they had to say below:

People living with HIV should not face "discriminatory restrictions" on their access to fertility treatment, the chairman of the Commons' health and social care committee has said.

Conservative MP Steve Brine said "many" people with HIV were excluded from accessing fertility treatment and called on the government to remove restrictions.

A health minister said a group of experts was looking at the issue, and committed to act "swiftly" on their recommendations, which she said were expected later this month.

Mr Brine, MP for Winchester, was speaking at a session of questions to health ministers in the Commons.

A former health minister himself, he said: "Women living with HIV, of course, have the right to healthcare on the same terms as anyone else.

"Except, right now, they do not when it comes to starting a family."

Health minister Maria Caulfied said: "He absolutely raises an important point. And last year we asked the advisory committee on the safety of blood and tissues to reconsider this.

"They set up a working group in June last year to look at this very specific issue, and we expect their recommendations this month.

"And we will take them very seriously and swiftly once we have their advice."

Environmental campaigners are calling on Scotland's first minister to "hold his nerve" and press ahead with the UK's first deposit return scheme.

Humza Yousaf has insisted the plans for the scheme in Scotland are in "grave danger" after the UK government ruled the environmental initiative could only go ahead without glass bottles included in it.

Mr Yousaf and members of his cabinet are to consider whether to press ahead with the scheme when they meet on Tuesday.

Campaigners insist ditching the initiative - which would see a 20p deposit charged on drinks in cans and bottles, with the money returned when empty containers are brought back for recycling - would only benefit big businesses.

Westminster has insisted it would only grant a limited exemption to the Scottish scheme from the UK Internal Market Act - with this needed as the scheme north of the border comes in ahead of similar plans for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Mr Yousaf said without a full exemption - which would allow DRS to include glass bottles as well as plastic bottles and cans - the UK government was "in danger of sinking this scheme in its entirety".

He has called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to allow the scheme to go ahead with glass bottles in it.

Sir Keir Starmer has said he would not repeat the mistakes which "decimated" coal mining communities in the 1980s with his plan to phase out new oil and gas drilling.

The Labour leader pledged to work with unions to "seize the opportunities" of green energy to prevent mass job losses.

During a Q&A at the GMB Congress, it was put to him that his plan to end new oil and gas extraction was "a threat to Scottish jobs and UK energy security".

But the Labour leader said: "I want to be absolutely clear: oil and gas are going to be part of the mix for decades to come, into the 2050s."

You can read more from Sky News below: