WESTMINSTER was “absolutely terrified” when Nicola Sturgeon visited, an ex-MP has said.
Mhairi Black, who spent nine years as an SNP MP, made the claim in an interview with The Herald Magazine in which she also praised the former first minister as “possibly the best politician I can think of UK-wide”.
Speaking of Sturgeon’s visits to Westminster as first minister, she said: “They were terrified of her, absolutely terrified. When she was in the building it spread like wildfire.
“You could see they’re actually quite shaken at the very fact that she’s here in person.”
Black also praised Sturgeon, adding: “I’ve always said I think she is possibly the best politician I can think of UK-wide as to competency and being able to answer a question. I’ve never seen her shaken. She was always unflappable and I know from experience how difficult that is to do. So, as a politician I thought she was s**t hot.”
Asked about Sturgeon’s legacy, Black said: “Undoubtedly no one can take away that she reached levels of influence and popularity and fear that I don’t think anyone else has in recent memory … I can’t think of anybody who has had that kind of impact, certainly on UK politics.”
Last week, Black announced she has quit the SNP – with the party’s “capitulation” on trans rights being part of the reason for her decision.
She stressed she still supports Scottish independence but there have been “too many times” when she did not agree with decisions made by the party.
“Basically, for a long time, I’ve not agreed with quite a few decisions that have 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.”
Black added: “I thought the party could be doing better about Palestine as well.”
The former MP said: “If anything, I’m probably a bit more left-wing than I have been. I don’t think I have changed all that much. I feel like the party needs to change a lot more."
