Which Scottish MPs are leaving the Commons?

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Ian BlackfordImage source, UK Parliament

It could be 18 months until the next UK general election but already a number of Scottish MPs have decided not to stand.

The eight SNP MPs who will not contest the election include the group's former Westminster leader Ian Blackford and current deputy leader Mhairi Black.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack and Douglas Ross, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, will also stand down.

Here is a full list of those who have announced their decision to leave Westminster.

Philippa Whitford

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The former NHS surgeon has represented Central Ayrshire as an SNP MP since 2015.

In a letter to constituents, she said "aggression and contempt" towards SNP MPs had "become the norm" under Boris Johnson's tenure.

"While he has gone, his toxic legacy remains and only time will tell if this changes after the next election," Dr Whitford added.

But she described her eight years in Parliament as "rewarding" and pledged to continue campaigning for Scottish independence in her retirement.

John McNally

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Image caption,

John McNally, the SNP MP for Falkirk, was first elected to Westminster in 2015

John McNally ran a barber's shop in Denny before being elected to the local council.

In 2015, he made the jump to Westminster as SNP MP for Falkirk.

The 72-year-old told constituents his decision to stand down at the next election came after some "soul searching".

"It's not a decision I have taken lightly, it has been a privilege to speak on behalf of such a vibrant community," he added.

Mhairi Black

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Mhairi Black, the SNP's deputy leader at Westminster, was the parliament's youngest MP since 1832 when she was elected aged 20 in 2015.

Now 28, she is one of the most high-profile figures to announce their decision to not contest the next election.

The MP for Paisley and South described Westminster as an "outdated, sexist and toxic" working environment.

And she cited safety concerns, social media abuse and unsociable hours as she explained her decision.

Stewart Hosie

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An SNP MP for Dundee East since 2005, Stewart Hosie is one of the most experienced politicians in the party at Westminster.

He is currently the SNP's treasury spokesperson but she was the SNP's deputy leader to Nicola Sturgeon from 2014 to 2016.

The 60-year-old said he made the decision after a "great deal of thought" and serving his constituency had been the "greatest privilege" of his life.

"I will, of course, remain an active member of the SNP and find other ways in which I can help further the cause of Scottish independence," he said.

Douglas Chapman

Douglas Chapman, the MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, is a former SNP national treasurer.

He resigned as party treasurer in May 2021, claiming he was not given enough information to do the job.

A police investigation into party finances launched in July 2021 led to the arrest and subsequent release of former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and her husband, ex-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell.

He said he reached the decision not to stand at the next election after discussions with "family and close political friends".

Angela Crawley

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Angela Crawley was one of the SNP's intake of 56 MPs who arrived at Westminster in 2015 following huge general election success.

During her time in the Commons, the MP for Lanark and Hamilton East has campaigned for paid leave for those who experience miscarriage.

In a letter to constituents, external she said her the unpredictable nature of her job had come at a "personal cost and required many difficult compromises".

She said it had been an "honour and a privilege" to serve her community but "it is now time to put my partner and our young family at the centre of my daily life."

Peter Grant

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Peter Grant, a former leader of Fife Council, was elected to Westminster as an SNP MP in 2015.

He has won another two elections in Glenrothes since then but he has told constituents he has doubts whether he could cope with the "physical and mental demands", external another full parliamentary term.

He said he would be in his late 60s by the end of another five year parliament.

"In politics as in many areas of public life it's important to know when it's time to step down," he said. "For me that time has not yet come but it is likely to come during the next Parliament and it is fairer on everyone if I acknowledge that now".

Ian Blackford

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Ian Blackford is a well-known face in Westminster, thanks to his regular appearances at Prime Minister's Questions while leader of the SNP group.

He stood down from the role in December following speculation that some of his MPs were plotting against him. He was succeeded by Stephen Flynn.

The former banker has been the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber since 2015 when he defeated former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy in a controversial campaign.

He said he had thought "long and hard" whether to stand in the next general election and that he was "privileged and humbled that people across my home constituency have put their trust in me at three elections".

Alister Jack

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Alister Jack was first elected MP of Dumfries and Galloway in 2017, defeating the SNP's Richard Arkless.

He succeeded David Mundell as Scottish Secretary in 2019 and has served in the same role under Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

The businessman and farmer told ITV Border he would not trigger a by-election by accepting a peerage in Mr Johnson's resignation honours list and moving to the House of Lords.

But when he was asked if he would go to the Lords after the next election, he replied: "Who knows?"

Douglas Ross

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Douglas Ross is the leader of the Scottish Conservative party, an MP and an MSP.

He was voted into Westminster in 2017 when he took the Moray seat from the SNP's Angus Robertson; he retained the seat with a majority of just 513 in 2019.

Shortly after becoming leader the following year, he confirmed that he would only continue to be an MP until the next general election.

He has been an MSP for the Highlands and Islands since 2021, and he has opposed proposed boundary changes which would "carve up" his Westminster constituency.