Fergus Ewing: SNP will 'throw everything' into trying to stop me winning

Fergus Ewing has predicted the SNP will throw “the kitchen sink and perhaps even the campervan” into trying to stop him winning at next year’s Holyrood election.

Mr Ewing, who has represented the SNP in the Scottish Parliament since 1999, announced on Friday morning that he will instead run as an independent in Inverness and Nairn in 2026.

He said his former party had “lost its way” and “ceased to be champions for the people of Scotland”. Mr Ewing has been a vocal critic of the Scottish Government on several issues over recent years, including the lack of progress on dualling the A9 and A96 roads.

Fergus Ewing | Colin D Fisher/CDFIMAGES.COM

Appearing on BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show, Mr Ewing was asked whether he risked splitting the nationalist vote and letting another party, such as the Conservatives, “through the middle”.

Mr Ewing said: "I don't think that will happen. I'm fighting to win. I had a large majority, a fairly large personal vote. I take nothing for granted. 

"I am doing this because I think it's the right thing to do for my constituents, for democracy in Scotland, in the sense that I want to see - not to bring anybody down, but to raise the standards of the parliament and to speak out.

"It was Edwin Morgan, wasn't it, the great national bard, who said about the Scottish Parliament, what people don't want is a 'nest of fearties'. And that doesn't serve anyone's interests."

He added: "I believe it's the right decision. I'm sure the party [the SNP] will throw everything into it, every effort, the kitchen sink and perhaps even the campervan."

Mr Ewing secured a majority of 9,114 at the 2021 election, with the Conservatives in second place, although the Liberal Democrats won the Westminster constituency of Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire last year.

He said he had given the SNP "clear, fair warning" in recent months that he was minded to stand as an independent.

He said: "I'm going to be putting out a whole series of proposals about how we can improve devolution as a whole, including picking the best people from each of the main parties because we may need - as has happened in Germany and Ireland - to have a firewall against extreme options.

"That's what's happened in Germany and Ireland. It may seem fanciful that the main parties in Scotland can work together, but that won't be so fanciful if Reform end up the second party after the next election."

Mr Ewing is the son of nationalist trailblazer Winnie Ewing and previously served as a senior minister under both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.

Since leaving government, he has criticised SNP ministers on a range of issues, including the decision to bring the Greens into the Scottish Government in the Bute House Agreement, which collapsed last year.

Emma Roddick has been selected as the SNP candidate for Inverness and Nairn next year.

First Minister John Swinney, the SNP leader, previously expressed his “real sadness and deep regret” over Mr Ewing’s “decision to leave the Scottish National Party”.