SNP stalwart ‘who didn’t duck issues’ declines to stand in deputy contest

Perth MP Pete Wishart will not contest the SNP’S depute leadership. He made the announcement yesterday as he called for other candidates to take forward his message of caution on indyref2.

Mr Wishart, the SNP’S longest serving parliamentarian at Westminster, had raised speculation he might run for the post by calling for a second independence referendum to be put off beyond the next Scottish elections.

He warned last week that losing a second independence referendum triggered 0 Pete Wishart has urged caution over indyref2 by Brexit would be “unthinkable”. In a blog post on Monday, Mr Wishart said he did not believe he had “sufficient support within the party” and had decided not to stand.

The representative for Perth and North Perthshire narrowly held off the Conservatives by 21 votes last year. He has also called for a fresh approach to the European Union from the SNP.

In order to win back support from pro-brexit supporters of Scottish independence, Mr Wishart said the Nationalists should underline that an independent Scotland would make a “graduated” return to EU membership, with public approval sought for each step back into the bloc.

He confirmed on his website he had considered standing for the party’s depute leadership, but had not “ducked” issues to help his prospects.