Fergus Ewing: I won’t run for SNP in 2026 and may challenge as an independent

Outspoken SNP backbencher Fergus Ewing has said he will not run for the party in the 2026 election and may run as an independent instead.

However Mr Ewing, who has been a vocal critic of the Scottish Government, says he is not quitting John Swinney’s party before the election.

He said failures to dual the “vital” A9 and A96 roads were the chief reason he was not putting himself forward for nomination again.

There have previously been reports that the Inverness and Nairn MSP may be blocked from running for the SNP again.

Asked about this, Mr Swinney has only stated that “democratic processes” were under way in local party branches to choose candidates.

Writing for the Press & Journal newspaper, Mr Ewing said: “It is with great sadness that, after 26 years and six successful election campaigns, I shall not be submitting my name for nomination for the SNP for the Holyrood election next year for the Inverness and Nairn constituency.

“Among several reasons, the principal one is that I am afraid that I simply cannot defend the record of the SNP government to fail to deliver on its long-standing pledges to dual the A9 and A96 – both so vital for my constituency.”

Unless progress is made on dualling the roads, he said he “may consider standing next year as an independent candidate”.

In his article he also criticised the current direction of the party, saying: “If any loyal SNP members are disappointed by this announcement, I am truly sorry for that.

“But sadly, the SNP just is no longer the party for all of Scotland, as it has been for most of my 50 years as a member – the national party.”

He said the party “must” change and his SNP membership is part of his “very soul”.

Mr Ewing is the son of the late, trailblazing SNP politician Winnie Ewing and has served as a minister in Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon’s governments.

He defied party whips to vote against then Green minister Lorna Slater in a motion of no confidence – with this resulting in him being temporarily suspended from the SNP group at Holyrood.

His sister, Annabelle Ewing, is also an MSP and recently announced she will not run for re-election.

Responding to Mr Ewing’s statement, Conservative MSP Edward Mountain said: “It is quite telling that even SNP royalty cannot bring themselves to stand again for the party next year.

“Fergus Ewing has delivered a devastating record on his party’s appalling failures in government, particularly in relation to their total lack of progress on dualling the A9 or A96.

“Those failures are literally a matter of life and death yet SNP ministers are still failing to prioritise these projects.

“Given someone who says he was born into the SNP cannot bring himself to defend these broken promises any longer, the anger among local voters served by these key roads will be palpable.”