MHAIRI Black has quit the SNP after becoming unhappy with the direction of the party.
Speaking ahead of her upcoming Edinburgh Fringe show, she told The Herald that "for a long time" she had not agreed with several decisions that had been made.
She said: "There have just been too many times when I’ve thought, ‘I don’t agree with what you’ve done there,’ or the decision or strategy that has been arrived at.
“To be honest, I’m looking around thinking, ‘There are better organisations that I could be giving a membership to than this one that I don’t feel has been making the right decisions for quite some time.’”
Black singled out what she described as “the capitulation on LGBT rights, trans rights in particular,” as an issue for her, adding that the party could be "doing better" on Palestine.
Looking ahead, she said she would seek to support organisations such as the Good Law Project which has directly campaigned on issues such as climate crisis and trans rights by mounting legal challenges.
“That’s what I want to throw my money behind,” Black added.
Black was elected for the party back in 2015 after beating Douglas Alexander in Paisley and Renfrewshire South.
She was just 20 when she entered the Commons but quickly made a name for herself as an impactful speaker.
Her maiden speech was watched 10 million times online, but towards the end of her time in Parliament she spoke about reaching breaking point with Westminster.
After successfully defending her seat in the 2017 and 2019 elections, Black announced that she would not be seeking re-election in 2023.
Last August she performed a Fringe show entitled Politics Is Not For Me, in which she explained why she believed Westminster was a dysfunctional institution and not fit for purpose.
During the show she also revealed she had been diagnosed with ADHD in 2018.
She is returning to the Fringe next month with a new show called Work In Progress, which will not focus solely on politics.
Black said she remains committed to the independence cause.
“I’m still just as pro-independence, absolutely," Black said.
“If anything, I’m probably a bit more left-wing than I have been.
“I don’t think I’ve changed all that much. I feel like the party needs to change a lot more.”
An SNP spokesperson said: “The [[SNP]] is the largest political party in Scotland, united under John Swinney's vision of creating a better, fairer Scotland for everyone.
“After a year of disappointment and let downs from the UK Labour government, it’s clear that real change will never come from Westminster and that independence is essential for a better future.”
