IAN Blackford has revealed he is giving “careful consideration” to making a dramatic return to frontline politics.
The former leader of the SNP at Westminster has said he has had calls from supporters urging him to stand in the constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch after its current MSP – Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes – announced she will be standing down earlier this week.
The 64-year-old told The Daily Mail that standing “is not what I had in mind'”.
But he added: “One or two people have approached me and I am grateful that people are thinking about me, but I've not given any indication one way or another. In all honesty, I hadn't really thought about it, it wasn't what I was planning.
“It is not what I had in my mind, it really wasn't. I obviously purposefully didn't put myself forward for the Scottish Parliament a few months ago, so I don't know.”
He then went on to say he had received “a number of phone calls” from people encouraging him to return and added that he is “really worried about the economy” across the UK.
He added that he "will have to give it careful consideration."
Blackford decided not to run in last year’s General Election.
He had served as the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber since 2015 and said at the time that he looked forward to “playing my part” from outside frontline politics.
He was ousted as Westminster leader of the SNP in late 2022. Some MPs felt his style at Prime Minister’s Questions was too long-winded and many preferred Stephen Flynn’s snappier approach.
