Stephen Flynn officially resigns from Aberdeen South and triggers another election
The former SNP Westminster leader was elected to the Scottish Parliament exactly one week ago.
Voters in Aberdeen will be going back to the polls to elect a new MP.
Stephen Flynn officially handed in his resignation today, The Press and Journal can reveal.
He was elected to Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine in the Holyrood election last week.
That means a new MP will need to be elected to serve the overlapping Aberdeen South constituency.
Westminster was an honour
In a statement, Mr Flynn said: “Being in Westminster for six and a half years was an honour, but I’m so proud to have now been given the chance to now serve back home in Scotland’s national parliament.
“When I entered Westminster it was during the chaos of Brexit and as I depart it is now consumed by the chaos of Starmer – the people and parties of power have changed, but the chaos has been constant.”
Mr Flynn added: “In contrast to the chaos of Westminster, John Swinney and the SNP have shown serious leadership for Scotland and we were rewarded for that at the ballot box just last week.
“But my work is only getting started and it is important that I reiterate my commitment to fight the corner of our oil and gas workers in Holyrood – we must protect their world class jobs and create new world class renewables jobs at their side.
“Our city has been rocked by the Labour Party’s attacks on industry and the cliff edge they have created for workers and, just as we oppose Labour’s cliff edge, so too must we reject a Reform Party who oppose billions of pounds in carbon storage and offshore wind investment.”
At the same time, newly elected MSP Stephen Gethins handed his notice in, triggering a by-election in Arbroath and Broughty Ferry.
Mr Gethins said: “We have acted in an orderly and timely fashion to allow these by-elections to take place as quickly as possible – that was the right and proper thing to do and stands in stark contrast to the crisis-ridden Westminster.”
How the Scottish election unfolded
The SNP won 58 seats in the Holyrood election on May 7.
Tories will be eyeing Aberdeen South for a shock after last week’s election.
Mr Flynn won with 11,788 votes, followed closely by Tory candidate Liam Kerr on 10,544.
Reform candidate Duncan Massey came third with 6,113.
Now the resignation is formal, the party moves a writ in the Commons. From that point, a by-election is held between 21 and 27 working days.
The SNP has not yet identified who will stand in the contest.
[Source: Press and Journal]
