SNP's Ian Blackford to Stand Down as MP at Next General Election

Ian Blackford, the SNP's former Westminster leader and MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, has announced that he will stand down as an MP at the next general election.

Blackford has been an MP since 2015 and led the SNP's Westminster group for five years.

He stepped down as group leader in December to avoid a possible challenge from his eventual successor, Stephen Flynn.

Blackford was a close ally of Nicola Sturgeon and played a significant role in making the SNP a prominent force in Scottish and UK politics.

He is currently working on a paper on Scotland's industrial future and will continue as the first minister's business ambassador.