Veteran MSP Fergus Ewing won't stand for SNP and may run as independent

Veteran MSP Fergus Ewing will not stand for the SNP at next year’s Scottish Parliamentary election, but he may stand as an independent candidate.

Ewing is one of the original members of the 1999 Scottish Parliament. He has represented Inverness and Nairn for more than 26 years.

Until now, he has always represented the SNP despite being a vocal critic of the Scottish Government and some of its policies.

In a statement to local newspapers, Ewing said failures to dual the “vital” A9 and A96 roads were the chief reason he was not putting himself forward for nomination again.

“I am afraid I cannot defend the record of the SNP on the pledges to dual the A9 and A96 – both so vital for my constituency,” he said.

“I have stood in every election on these pledges, and so, as a matter of honour, I simply cannot defend the lack of delivery.”

The Scottish Government has said it remains committed to dualling both the A9 and A96, but the timetable for both projects has slipped.

Ewing will continue to serve as an SNP MSP until the Scottish elections next year. He said he may consider running as an independent candidate unless progress is made on dualling both roads.

In the Press & Journal, Ewing criticised the current direction of the SNP.

“Sadly, the SNP just is no longer the party for all of Scotland, as it has been for most of my 50 years as a member – the national party,” Ewing said.

He said the party “must” change and his SNP membership is part of his “very soul”.

Ewing is the son of the late, trailblazing SNP politician Winnie Ewing and has served as a minister in Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon’s governments.

He defied party whips to vote against then Green minister Lorna Slater in a motion of no confidence – with this resulting in him being temporarily suspended from the SNP group at Holyrood.

There were even previously rumours that Ewing may be blocked from running for the SNP again.

His sister Annabelle Ewing is also an MSP and recently announced she will not run for re-election.