SNP chief whip says after losing seat in 2017 he spent 'four weeks flying to black hole at the centre of the galaxy' in a video game

Now the SNP’s chief whip, Owen Thompson lost his seat to Labour in 2017

The SNP chief whip says after losing his seat in 2017 he spent “four weeks flying to a black hole at the centre of the galaxy” in a video game.

First elected in 2015, Owen Thompson lost his Midlothian seat in 2017 to Labour’s Danielle Rowley, only to win it back in 2019.

Speaking exclusively to The Scotsman, Mr Thompson joked about not taking the loss well, and flying to a black hole in Elite Dangerous – a space flight simulation game with a to-scale representation of the Milky Way galaxy.

The SNP chief whip found respite in video games after losing his seat.

Sitting as the vice-chair on the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Video Games and Esports, he discussed his favourite games and what he is playing now when he gets a chance.

He said: “I have actually just given Starfield a go, that’s new out. I have Game Pass with my phone, so that’s good.

"I do like strategy games, Total War over the years, the Civilization series itself, Settlers and city building things.

“My ultimate all-time favourite would either be Legend of Zelda, or Elite Dangerous. Elite Dangerous is a space exploration game, it’s just so huge.

“It’s an open play galaxy. You build your ships and off you go exploring, and pirates exist and all that stuff.

“After I lost the election in 2017, I think I spent four weeks flying to a black hole at the centre of the galaxy, which I’m sure was something symbolic.

“I don’t get a lot of time to play, but I do enjoy a game from time to time. It’s nice if you do get a slightly earlier finish down here to just switch the brain off when you get a chance at night.”

The role of the APPG is to work with the games and interactive entertainment industry, including with its trade body UK Interactive Entertainment, to promote the industry's economic, technological and cultural contributions within Parliament.

Scotland has a glowing record when it comes to video games, being home to some of the most popular titles of all time, including Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto.