SNP MSP Sandra White to quit Holyrood at next election

Sandra White was elected to the Scottish Parliament when it reconvened in 1999

SNP MSP Sandra White has announced she plans to stand down from Holyrood at the election in May.

The Glasgow Kelvin MSP said representing the city she grew up in had been the "honour of my life".

She also pledged to continue dedicating time to local activism and the fight for Scottish independence.

Ms White, who has been an MSP since 1999, said she had "no doubt that we will see independence for Scotland in my lifetime".

First elected as an MSP for the Glasgow region, she won her current seat in 2011.

Before becoming an MSP, she spent a decade as an SNP councillor on Renfrewshire Council.

'Honour of my life'

Ms White revealed her plans to stand down at next year's Scottish Parliament election in a statement to her constituency association.

She is the latest in a series of SNP MSPs to confirm they will not be standing for re-election and her announcement follows Health Secretary Jeane Freeman confirming on Monday plans to quit Holyrood in May.

Ms White said: "It has been both a privilege and the honour of my life to represent the city that I grew up in, helping to shape a better future for the people who have been Glaswegians their whole lives and for those who have chosen to make Glasgow their home."

• Jeane Freeman to stand down at Scottish election

• Former SNP minister Alex Neil to stand down as MSP

• SNP's Roseanna Cunningham to stand down as MSP

She said highlights included her election as convener of the social security committee and overseeing the Responsible Parking Bill.

Ms White added that she hoped to be remembered as "a grassroots MSP who prioritised their constituency and constituents above all else".

Other SNP MSPs to confirm they will be stepping down in May include Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham, Constitution Secretary Mike Russell, former minister Alex Neil, Stewart Stevenson, Gail Ross and Bruce Crawford.