SNP leadership contest: Stephen Flynn says Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney stepping down is 'chance for renewal for the SNP'

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has insisted Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney stepping down is a “chance for renewal” for the party.

Mr Swinney confirmed on Thursday he would leave the Scottish government and return to the backbenches once a new first minister was appointed later this month, sealing the end of an era in the senior ranks of the SNP’s leadership.

Finance secretary Kate Forbes, health secretary Humza Yousaf and former community safety minister Ash Regan are set to face their first live TV leadership debate on Tuesday as they vie to succeed Ms Sturgeon, amid turbulence surrounding the SNP’s route to independence and backing for key policies such as the National Care Service.

Speaking exclusively to Scotland on Sunday, Mr Flynn admitted the First Minister resigning along with her deputy was a “big change”, but he suggested it could give his party the motivation to reach “that next stage”.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn insisted the departures could be good for his party.

The Aberdeen South MP, who only assumed his own role as Ian Blackford’s successor in December, praised both outgoing Government figures, but insisted his party had the depth to replace them.

“It's obviously a big change,” he said. “Nicola has been an inspiration to myself and others from many years in her role as First Minister, and John Swinney was the first politician I ever came across back when he was an MP and he covered the area in Angus where I lived. He is a stalwart of Scottish politics – the sensible, calm and reasoned voice that all of us would listen to.

“This is a chance for renewal for the SNP, to go to that next stage, and sometimes folk can be a bit wary of change, [but] it’s not something that I’ve ever been overly worried about.

"I think change can always be a positive thing, and it’s incumbent on whoever follows on and there are both many good colleagues in Holyrood who are standing for the leadership and not doing so who now need to take on the baton of good Government, and take us on that pathway to that fairer society we all want, and then hopefully onto independence as well.”

Hesitant to endorse a single candidate, Mr Flynn suggested he could do so in future. But he delivered a stinging rebuke to one of Ms Regan’s policy pledges, rubbishing her promise of a Scottish currency within months of independence, saying: “I don’t think that’s a particularly credible position.”

Mr Flynn added: “I'm not shy in expressing my views when I want to, but I’m listening closely to what the candidates and have to say, and I've been pretty clear about what the big things are that need to be to be addressed,” he said. “I’ll listen to their views and form my own conclusions and maybe it’ll be that I’ll express my opinion publicly, but I don't want to put any pressure on anyone standing for a leadership position.”

Asked about the importance of independence for any potential candidate, the SNP Westminster leader echoed comments from Ms Forbes and Mr Yousaf that more emphasis should be put on the benefits.

"I think it’s important we always talk about why not just the how, but it is important we answer the how as well,” he said.

“I don’t think a de-facto referendum should be taken off the table per se, but it’s for the leadership candidates to set out. I’ve been intrigued by some of the proposals put forward so far. I know the special conference was cancelled, but the discussion is ongoing.”

Mr Flynn was diplomatic when asked about Ms Forbes’s views on gay marriage – first aired in an exclusive interview with The Scotsman last month – in which the finance secretary said she would not have supported the legislation going through the Scottish Parliament in 2014.

Her remarks prompted the 34-year-old to tweet “love is love”, as well as extensive condemnation from across the SNP from figures including Mr Blackford and Mr Flynn’s deputy Mhairi Black.

Ms Black had accused Ms Forbes of "intolerance", claiming she had been “incredibly hurt” by the leadership contender’s stance.

Asked if the groups could work well despite the conflict, Mr Flynn insisted it was for “Kate to outline how she would bring people together”.

“There were obviously a lot of people who were concerned about her views on some social issues,” he said. “For my part, I am the leader of the Westminster group. I’ll continue to do what I need to do to hold the Tories and Labour to account.”

There was however, seemingly agreement with Ms Forbes that Scotland’s transition away from oil and gas while winding down the North Sea industry should not happen “too quickly”.

Ms Forbes, the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MP, this week indicated she did not support the Scottish Government’s existing presumption against new oil and gas exploration.

Asked about her comments, Mr Flynn they would "not necessarily surprise” him.

“There's an important discussion to be had here,” he said. “When the North Sea transition deal was put in place, it had a climate compatibility check between industry and the UK Government. I think all reasoned observers would say it’s fair to make those more robust, and the Scottish Government has proposed doing that.

“But I don't think we can lose sight in all of this of the necessity of energy security, not just for ourselves, but our friends and allies on the continent because Scotland is an exporter of energy. When we are having these conversations we need to be conscious of energy security, but also of people’s jobs.

“We need to make sure that whoever comes in as first minister is committed to a transition which makes sure those jobs are replaced quickly and efficiently.”

With Chancellor Jeremy Hunt set to outline his budget on March 15, Mr Flynn also criticised the reported plan to freeze energy bills, rather than offer more support. Consumers face an increase in their bills from April, despite a fall in the industry price cap of almost £1,000.

Mr Flynn criticised the support as not being “good enough” and called for the Chancellor to provide some “hope”.

“He needs to go much, much further,” Mr Flynn said. “We've obviously proposed that they are cut by £500, which I think is entirely fair and reasonable given the money which is slushing around the Treasury at the moment, given the falling wholesale gas prices.

“We need to be talking about growth, and we need the UK Government to wake up, smell the coffee and realise single market membership is good for us.

"We need to see doubling down on renewables, hydrogen, carbon capture. We need, of course, public sector pay to be rising in line with CPI, which it has not, with the knock-on benefits to the public sector in Scotland being enormous.

“The Tories know that there is money available to deliver on these things and they need to do it now because families in Scotland are suffering. There is a distinct lack of hope at the moment, and the person who holds the purse strings can provide a bit of hope to people, and I hope they do that.

“Simply freezing bills isn’t good enough, and it’s particularly not good enough for energy rich Scotland. We know that bills in Scotland are far above the average and that’s a damn disgrace.”

Mr Flynn also revealed his enjoyment at the angry responses to Labour’s appointment of senior civil servant Sue Gray. Ms Gray, who led the UK Government’s Partygate investigation, will take up the role of chief of staff in Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s office – an appointment that has sparked widespread condemnation from arch loyalists of former prime minister Boris Johnson.

Mr Johnson said the appointment raised questions over the conclusions of Ms Gray’s inquiry, while Jacob Rees-Mogg suggested she was part of a “left-wing cabal”.

Mr Fynn said: “The full outrage from the Conservatives is quite amusing and makes it almost worthwhile. The idea she’s in some way the person who caused Boris Johnson to have parties in Downing Street is a bit absurd.

“People should be entitled to go and work for whom they want.”