Fergus Ewing quits SNP to run as independent in 2026
The veteran MSP and former minister said his decision was 'not an easy one' but was driven by disillusionment with the direction of his party and the state of the Scottish Parliament.
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Mr Ewing said his old party had "deserted many of the people whose causes we used to champion".
'I have taken [the decision to stand as an independent] because I love the people of Inverness and Nairn and the people of Scotland more than my party, which I have been in for more than half a century,' he said.
'I believe the SNP has lost its way and that devolution itself – presently – is letting Scotland's people down.'
Mr Ewing, first elected in 1999, served for 14 years in ministerial roles under Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.
In recent years, however, he has become one of the SNP's most vocal critics, repeatedly challenging the party on key policies, including its stance on North Sea oil and gas, delays to dualling the A9 and A96, the proposed deposit return scheme, gender recognition reform, and plans for Highly Protected Marine Areas.
He was suspended from the SNP Holyrood group in 2023 after voting against then Green minister Lorna Slater in a motion of no confidence, defying party whips.
In March this year, he announced he would not seek selection as an SNP candidate, warning the party was 'no longer the party for all of Scotland'.
In a statement confirming his bid to run as an independent, Mr Ewing criticised what he described as the increasingly 'fractious and tribal' nature of the Scottish Parliament and the centralisation of power within party structures.
'Too much power rests unchecked in the hands of party leaders, free to choose candidates who will slavishly support them, rather than stand up for the people who sent them to Holyrood,' he said. 'Choosing the pliant over the talented.'
He added: 'It's time for Holyrood to live up to the high expectations people rightly held for it, when my mother, Winnie, reconvened our own Parliament in 1999. It came of age some years ago – surely now it's time for it to grow up.'
Mr Ewing urged politicians in the main parties to work together "whether in a grand coalition or a less formal arrangement" to reform public services and maximise economic growth.
In recent months, he has argued that party leaders have prioritised loyalty over competence in candidate selection. 'The party machine has become too all-powerful,' he said in an interview last month. 'Candidates who may be suitable from the party point of view – in other words, obedient and pliant – but perhaps not what the people want.'
Earlier this year, Mr Ewing faced speculation that he could be barred from standing for the SNP again, with reports suggesting the party's internal vetting process had flagged concerns over his repeated public criticism of government policy.
Although he ultimately passed vetting, the episode fuelled tensions within the party. Former cabinet secretary Alex Neil said any move to deselect Mr Ewing would have triggered 'a massive revolt from both the public and within the party', describing him as 'one of the most effective MSPs in Scotland'.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, a close ally of Mr Ewing, also intervened in the row, urging the SNP to consider his 'long-standing contribution' to the party and its values.
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