Stephen Flynn

The Aberdeen South MP defeated Alison Thewliss after a short contest to succeed Ian Blackford.

Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: “Stephen Flynn’s victory over Nicola Sturgeon’s candidate is a personal humiliation for the First Minister and lays bare the deep splits within the SNP. Across Britain there is a majority for change - and Labour will deliver that change.” He has also championed the oil and gas industry, which the SNP/Green Government has gone cool on this year. Flynn was last month weighing up a challenge to Blackford, but he ruled himself out in a post on social media. Families across Scotland are paying a devastating price under Westminster control, with Brexit, austerity cuts and the Tory cost of living crisis hammering household budgets. Alison Thewliss lost to Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn in the race to succeed [Ian Blackford](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/ian-blackford-resigns-snp-westminster-28628414).

The sacking comes as the Aberdeen South MP starts to stamp his mark on a new look shadow cabinet for the Nats at Westminster after Mr Blackford left office on ...

Mr Hosie, a former deputy leader of both the party and its Westminster group, added: "With Stephen Flynn at the helm in Westminster I think we'll see closer working than we've ever done." Earlier on Wednesday, SNP MP Stewart Hosie also attempted to play down rifts within the group and wider party over the election of Mr Flynn. It comes as Mr Flynn used his first day in office to attack Rishi Sunak as a “near billionaire” at Prime Minister's Questions. The group played a critical role in bringing down 61-year-old Mr Blackford. West Dunbartonshire MP Martin Docherty-Hughes will take over from Mr Thompson. [Ian Blackford told to resign after Patrick Grady sexual harassment scandal as police drop investigation](https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/ian-blackford-told-resign-after-27389913) [Ian Blackford in big trouble as prominent Indy website urges him to resign](https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/ian-blackford-big-trouble-prominent-27289900) [Ian Blackford told to resign over Patrick Grady affair as Boris Johnson comparison made](https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/ian-blackford-told-resign-over-27419136) ['Incompetent' Ian Blackford embarrassed after scripted PMQs exchange with Liz Truss](https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/ian-blackford-slapped-down-liz-28277697) [All the latest Politics news](https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk) [SNP Westminster leader ](https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/comment/stv-poll-should-dire-warning-28676735)then referenced a new poll from Ipsos Scotland for STV which showed support for independence soaring in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that the Scottish Parliament cannot legislate for a referendum on independence. Mr Flynn told his group of MPs by email to expect a “new-look team” in the coming days after defeating Alison Thewliss, a close confidante of Ms Sturgeon, to the top Westminster job. Mr Flynn was also accused of being involved in a coup to oust his predecessor last month but denied he was staging a leadership challenge. Divisions among the party are already emerging with Mr Flynn expected to demand the Westminster group is given more say over SNP policy and strategy. [Owen Thompson ](https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/d-day-nicola-sturgeon-snp-28663161)was sacked by [Stephen Flynn ](https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/comment/nicola-sturgeon-stephen-flynn-collision-28678296)as the party’s chief whip at Westminster despite support from numerous SNP MPs. The sacking comes as the Aberdeen South MP starts to stamp his mark on a new look shadow cabinet for the Nats at Westminster after Mr Blackford left office on Tuesday.

Exclusive: Nissan Ayalon has now left Scotland after being targeted in both Glasgow and Aberdeen, where the SNP group in the city council – led by the ...

"When a regime is operating in such a brutalist and horrific manner we shouldn't be trying to build economic or cultural bridges with them to overcome that. I have to ask for permission to live, to walk to work. He compared his treatment to "a game of chase the Jew" and said: "It's like I don't have the right to exist. I cannot support that." I have to justify my existence. One member of the Jewish community in the city – who asked not to be named – told us: "What Flynn stated and voted against was totally inappropriate for a Councillor." "tackle and prevent racism, xenophobia and hate crimes" in order to "maintain Aberdeen as a friendly and welcoming destination" He added: "Moving forward we should be proud of the fact that our city is diverse, our city allows people to speak openly and if they want to politically protest against something they don't believe in." Mr Flynn, who was then SNP group leader, spoke in the debate and said: "One of the things the council leader also touched on there, Lord Provost, was apartheid and I think that the inference by the motion that in some way we should've curtailed what we did, or what the vast majority of cities and nations across Europe did in relation to apartheid, that should have been curtailed is completely bizarre. Stephen Flynn also appeared to draw a comparison between Israel and the "brutalist and horrific" actions of the apartheid-era South Africa during a council meeting in the Granite City. [Belfast](https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/all-about/northern-ireland) and [Glasgow](https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/all-about/glasgow) by pro-Palestinian protests before moving to Aberdeen where the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign continued to hound him. [Westminster](https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/all-about/westminster) leader refused to condemn pro-Palestinian activists accused of hounding a Jewish business out of [Aberdeen](https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/all-about/aberdeen).