Stephen Flynn's bid for second job as MSP reveals how little SNP MPs actually do

The SNP’s Stephen Flynn claims he wants to “do things differently” by forcing out his colleague so he can stand as an MSP while retaining his Westminster seat. We have been here before.

In the summer, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross was wishing his colleague David Duguid the best of health with one hand and deselecting him as a general election candidate with the other. Ross got his hands on Duguid’s comfortable majority, but voters noticed this daylight robbery and acted accordingly.

Critics had long pointed out that juggling being an MP, MSP and football referee left “Three Jobs” Ross little time for, say, important parliamentary votes on universal credit, but he insisted he was up to the task.

Height of arrogance

Now, it’s Flynn’s turn to claim superhuman powers. He criticised Ross but now he fancies doing two jobs, it’s okay for him. What rank hypocrisy. The SNP banned MPs from becoming MSPs back in 2021 but Flynn told the BBC that Holyrood “needs” him, while also refusing to quit Westminster.

Flynn’s comments might be the height of arrogance but they’re also revealing. First, he’s unintentionally reminded us of how little the SNP does at Westminster, beyond grabbing a few headlines with token debates. If Flynn thinks being an MP is simply scoring social media hits, no wonder he fancies his chances.

Second, he’s unwittingly become the voice of SNP dismay at their own record in Holyrood. After 17 years in power, hospitals are crumbling, waiting lists are soaring, ferries are missing in action, and consecutive health ministers seem to spend more time defending themselves than planning for the NHS’s future. It seems the SNP are still realising that dealing with the issues that affect Scots’ everyday lives actually takes work.

Delivering for Scotland

Scottish Labour realise this which is why our MPs and MSPs are not allowed to do two jobs. Being an effective parliamentarian is a full-time job. Scottish Labour MPs are at the heart of a UK Labour government where they’re already delivering for Scotland.

The recent UK Budget included a record settlement for Scotland with an additional £1.5 billion for the SNP government to spend this financial year and an additional £3.4bn next year. It delivered a pay rise for 200,000 of the lowest-paid Scots, and included £789 million of health-related funding this year and an extra £1.72bn for our NHS next year. Labour has also established GB Energy, a clean energy company based in Aberdeen that will ensure this country leads the way on renewables.

Meanwhile, as someone who has been an MSP throughout the life of the Scottish Parliament, I can tell Flynn first-hand that representing voters in Holyrood is more than a full-time job. It means meeting constituents, supporting them with complex casework and championing the causes they care about.

It means attending to local events at the weekend even when the cameras aren’t rolling. It means going through legislation with a fine-tooth comb and trying to correct this SNP government’s mistakes.

It means putting country before party and your constituents before your career. At the end of the day, Stephen Flynn’s boss isn’t John Swinney – it’s the voters. He owes it to those voters to represent them, and nothing less.

Jackie Baillie MSP is Scottish Labour’s deputy leader