Stephen Flynn booked as star guest at SNP awards bash as double jobbing row grips party

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Stephen Flynn is due to be the star speaker at a glitzy awards bash for SNP members this week despite causing a huge row over double jobbing.

The Nationalist leader at Westminster has angered colleagues at Holyrood after announcing his intention to stand as an MSP at the 2026 election - without quitting his current job as an MP.

Flynn intends to win the nomination for Aberdeen South despite the constituency already being held by an SNP MSP, Audrey Nicoll.

The move has prompted a furious flurry of anonymous briefing between Nationalists at Westminster and Holyrood - with allies of Flynn claiming the Scottish Parliament could do with a "more talented class" of politician.

All eyes will now be on Flynn when he speaks to a room full of SNP members at the party's annual St Andrew's awards dinner in Glasgow, where tickets cost £90 per person.

The bash is described as the "biggest event in the party's social calendar" and will also be addressed by First Minister John Swinney.

A Labour source told the Record: "After spending a week saying his colleagues are useless and announcing he is coming for their job, you have to wonder how he'll up his game at this dinner.

"My one piece of advice to anyone at the dinner is, don't take too long at the bar - you may come back to find Stephen Flynn has taken your seat."

An SNP advert for the dinner describes it as a "perfect opportunity to meet, greet and enjoy another fantastic night steeped in the fine traditions of the Scottish National Party".

Flynn's appearance comes after he used a BBC interview to declare he was "ambitious” after being asked if he wants John Swinney's job.

The SNP Westminster leader said any contest to be party leader would be in the "dim and distant future” but pointedly refused to rule out wanting to succeed the First Minister.

Asked if he is on manoeuvres to secure the leadership. "So I'm ambitious,” he said. "I'm seriously ambitious for Aberdeen and for Scotland.”

He added: “I don’t believe that there’s going to be a leadership contest in the Scottish National Party for a long, long time, because John Swinney is going to win the Scottish Parliament elections.

“Should there be a future leadership election it will be in the dim and distant future.”

He said he would not take two salaries if elected to Holyrood, but said of the prospect of holding down two jobs: “The big discussions that are happening right now that impact the lives of the people who I represent are happening at Westminster. They are happening at Holyrood. I want a wee bit of that action.”

He said of the hostile reaction among colleagues to him challenging Nicoll: “There is always going to be a strong reaction to someone seeking to do things slightly differently.”

Flynn shot down claims he asked Nicoll to make way for him before he announced his plan last week: “That’s a lie.” He said: “I did call Audrey the night before. We had a fairly cordial conversation, albeit brief.” He added: “I don’t want to be having these discussions on television, trying to defend myself over lies and fabrications."

An SNP spokeswoman said: "The SNP is looking forward to our annual St Andrew’s Day dinner, the biggest social event in the Party’s calendar, where we will celebrate some of the incredible people who are contributing to the independence movement."

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