LABOUR MSP Sarah Boyack has announced she will stand down at next year’s Holyrood election, saying it had been an “honour” to serve as a politician.
The MSP for Lothian was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 and was a member of Donald Dewar’s first cabinet.
Boyack left Parliament in 2016 after failing to get re-elected, but returned in 2019 as she took former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale’s seat after she quit Holyrood.
“It has been the honour of my life to serve as an MSP in the Scottish Parliament,” Boyack told Holyrood.
She added: “I am proud of what I have achieved, both in my time in government and in my local campaigns for issues that matter to my constituents.
“I will also continue to support causes close to my heart, from Edinburgh’s housing crisis to the battle to ensure we remain one of the cultural capitals of the world.”
More than 30 MSPs have so far signalled their intention not to contest next year’s election.
Boyack joins her fellow Labour colleagues Alex Rowley and former leader Richard Leonard, who have announced they are not seeking re-election next year.
