MSP Colin Beattie arrested in Branchform probe reselected

The Herald Scotland

06-05-2025

He beat Kelly Parry, the leader of SNP led Midlothian Council, in his bid to be re-elected as the SNP MSP for the constituency, gaining more than 50% of votes among branch members.
After the results of the ballot was announced after 6pm tonight, Mr Beattie told The Herald: 'I would thank all the SNP members in Midlothian North who have again placed their trust in me as their candidate. That trust will be respected and I will work hard to again win in Midlothian North."
The backbench MSP and former banker was arrested as part of the long running Police Scotland investigation Operation Branchform into SNP finances in 2023.
Mr Beattie was released without charge in April that year and in March this year it was announced he, along with former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, was no longer under investigation.
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However, during the local campaign to select the party's candidate for the 2026 Holyrood elections, some members questioned how effective he was in his role as national treasurer and sources told The Herald on Sunday he could be vulnerable.
"People are wondering if it may be time for a change and whether he may be such a good fit?" said one observer.
Meanwhile, former SNP social security minister Ben Macpherson and fellow backbench SNP MSP Collette Stevenson also faced challenges from rivals in their intentions to stand again.
The Herald has not yet been told the results of those two contests.
Mr Macpherson, who has represented Edinburgh Northern and Leith since 2016 and held a number of ministerial roles from 2018 to 2023, was challenged by Councillor Adam Nols-McVey, the former leader of Edinburgh city council with the latter backed by former Edinburgh East MP Tommy Sheppard.
Ms Stevenson, who has represented East Kilbride since 2021, was challenged by local activist Caroline Belch.
Ms Belch was backed by the former MSP for East Kilbride Linda Fabiani, who served as deputy presiding officer in Holyrood from 2016 to 2021.
First Minister John Swinney is tomorrow expected to unveil the party's full list of candidates for the 2026 Holyrood elections at an event in Edinburgh.
The SNP's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn will be among the party's contenders to win a seat in the Scottish Parliament.
Mr Flynn's bid got off to a rocky start last November when he declared he hoped to stand as the candidate for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine.
His announcement was met with anger in some quarters of the party and left many SNP MSPs wondering what was going to happen to their highly regarded colleague Audrey Nicoll.
Ms Nicoll, a former senior police officer, has been convener of the criminal justice committee since 2021 and has won praise for expertly guiding huge and complex reforms through the parliament including controversial legislation relating to the early release of short term prisoners and on how sexual offences are prosecuted.
She initially said she wanted to stand again in the seat at the next election, though later announced that she had decided against.
Mr Flynn won the party's nomination when rival, Anouk Kloppert, an SNP councillor in Aberdeenshire, pulled out of the race at the end of March.
He is to be joined by fellow MP Stephen Gethins, and former Westminster colleagues Allan Dorrans, Patricia Gibson and Alan Brown, all of whom have already been confirmed as candidates.