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From the SNP’s fantastic election result in 2019 to clashing with Boris Johnson and campaigning for independence, Ian Blackford’s five years as SNP Westminster leader have left him with much to reflect on

Ian Blackford opens up on his five years at the heart of Westminster
AFTER more than five years leading the SNP at Westminster, there’s one issue for which Ian Blackford is particularly keen to set the record straight on.

Alison Thewliss has announced she will run to be the SNP's next Westminster leader

Alison Thewliss has announced she will run to be the SNP's Westminster leader

Camps within the Labour Party have disagreed over future reform of the House of Lords, according to reports

Keir Starmer set to backtrack over House of Lords abolition pledge, reports say

Was referring the indyref2 question to the Supreme Court the right thing to do?

LETTERS Nicola Sturgeon’s referral of indyref2 question to court was a necessary evil

Protesters occupied the foyer of the Scottish Power building in Glasgow on Saturday

Protesters occupy Scottish Power HQ over rising energy bills

Stephen Flynn is seen as the most likely candidate to lead the SNP at Westminster

LETTER National readers weigh in on who should succeed Ian Blackford

Matt Hancock says ministers were told Covid could kill 820,000 people in UK

Matt Hancock: UK ministers reacted to huge Covid death toll prediction with a 'shrug'

Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake said it is important to establish the facts after a senior MP was reportedly accused of a series of assaults

Tory MP rape claims must be properly investigated, minister says

Kirsten Oswald ruled herself out of as a leadership contender for SNP's Westminster group

Updated Kirsten Oswald to step down as SNP deputy leader at Westminster

Independence supporters march past Holyrood (Credit: Stewart Attwood)

COMMENT The Yes movement is forging ahead with our eyes open and renewed focus

Demonstrators take part in the Fridays for Future Scotland march through Glasgow ahead of the first anniversary of the Cop26 summit in Glasgow

COMMENT The kids are not alright – it's up to us to give them reasons to believe

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said the 'duck test' would inform when it was the right time to hold indyref2

COMMENT Michael Russell: Colonial echoes in Westminster's denial of Scottish democracy

The MS Victoria will now host Ukrainian refugees until June 2023, the Scottish Government has confirmed

Ukrainian refugees to spend five more months on cruise ship in Edinburgh

EXCLUSIVE Supreme Court ruling 'not the end of the road' for Scottish independence, expert says

A Yesser outside the UK Supreme Court on the day it blocked indyref2 from going ahead

UK voters back indyref2 to go ahead next year, poll finds

Just Stop Oil activists threw red paint over the plush glass-fronted flagship Edinburgh office earlier this year

EXCLUSIVE Scotland Office refuse to disclose grafitti damage costs at Edinburgh HQ

Ian Blackford announced yesterday he was quitting as the SNP's chief in Westminster

WATCH SNP MP becomes first to back Stephen Flynn to replace Ian Blackford

TransPennine Express services are among those which will be affected by the new wave of strikes

More rail strikes announced as unions slam Tory Government

After Wednesday's launch, it was quite inarguable that “Independence is normal”.

Special Report Second edition of Scotland the Brief supplies undecided voters with facts they seek

Mark Kerr, inset, was sentenced at the High Court in Paisley for a number of sex attacks on children

Ex-SNP councillor caged for sex attacks on children

Are we regarded as a 'soft touch' by those within the British/English political establishment?

Letters Has the true meaning of the Supreme Court’s judgment sunk in yet?

Infowars host Alex Jones has filed for personal bankruptcy in the face of a damages bill of around $1.5bn for conspiracy theories he spread about a school shooting

Infowars host Alex Jones files for bankruptcy as $1.5bn Sandy Hook damages bill looms

Sex workers fear proposed rules will put them out of business

Scottish council has right to set strip club limit at zero, court told

Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar on a visit to Stalks and Stems in Glasgow's Southside

Starmer calls for change for Scotland 'in the Union' on visit to Glasgow

The Tories claim the First Minister breached the code by failing to properly record a meeting with Jim McColl, then Ferguson Marine boss

FERRIES ROW Tories accuse Nicola Sturgeon of ministerial code breach over ferry meeting

Oil and gas profits could be used to invest in Scotland's renewable sector, according to an economist

Oil and gas boom will 'accelerate' Scotland's green energy revolution

Will Rishi Sunak be informed of Scotland's intention to withdraw its MPs from Westminster?

Letters We are in a much stronger position than many people realise

Sajid Javid will not stand as an MP at the next General Election

Former chancellor Sajid Javid to stand down as Tory MP at next General Election

The Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh ballot was called after the incumbent Labour councillor sadly passed away following a short illness

UPDATED Labour win West Lothian by-election beating SNP by a few hundred votes

The Tories lost the first by-election contested since Sunak became Prime Minister

Sunak flunks first electoral test as Labour wins 'best ever' by-election result

Police are yet to open a formal investigation into the backbench Tory MP

Senior Tory MP reported to police by colleagues over rape allegations

Royal Mail bosses are seeking to turn the service towards focusing on parcel deliveries

comment Posties deliver an essential service - I am proud to stand with them

The Yes campaign has to do more to convince working-class Scots to back independence

comment We’ll need a radical case for independence to win voters to Yes

Yes groups have raised almost £40,000 from selling Scotland The Brief books

comment Our book aims to plant the seeds of belief in Scotland's economy

A speech by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was interrupted

comment Joanna Cherry: We must listen to our opponents to help us tackle their views

AUOB march for independence, Glasgow. Marchers on Woodlands Road. Photograph by Colin Mearns

LETTERS Ignore the misleading memes - there is no hidden Union get-out clause

After the Supreme Court's independence ruling, Unionists may think the case for independence is over - it definitely isn't

COMMENT Richard Murphy: UK will claim indy is resolved like it claims Covid is - neither are

Quebecois politician Paul St-Pierre Plamondon refused to swear an oath to King Charles III

SPECIAL REPORT Quebec parliament refuses entry to politicians over King Charles snub

The intentions of those polled do not suggest pro-indy parties would win the most votes

Letters Poll shows why SNP’s plan for the next General Election is a bad idea

The Prime Minister claimed 'Brexit was the right thing for our country, it allows the UK to get control of our borders'

Letters Where are these supposed Brexit benefits of which Rishi Sunak speaks?

The first video features a segment of Nicola Sturgeon’s speech made to the crowd at Holyrood

YES RALLIES Judgment Day rally highlights to feature in virtual advent calendar by campaigners

The National understands that Stephen Flynn is the front runner to take over the top SNP Westminster job from Blackford

EXCLUSIVE The inside story of Ian Blackford's resignation

Annual accounts show an underspend of £2bn - but does not represent a loss as some is carried forward through the Scotland Reserve

Scottish Government underspent £2bn in last year's budget, accounts show

The council warned it cannot continue to hand money to Ayr's Gaiety Theatre

Council steps in to save famed Scottish theatre from collapse

The First Minister will co-chair the panel of investors and asset managers to help reach net-zero targets

First Minister creates expert panel to boost Scotland's role as 'green finance hub'

Stephen Flynn has been widely tipped to be the SNP's next leader at Westminster

Leadership change Here are the stand-out moments from Stephen Flynn's time as an MP

Public health minister Maree Todd announced a world's first e-PrEP clinic in Scotland

Scotland launches world's first online HIV prevention service

Ian Blackford is stepping down as the SNP's Westminster leader

comment The REAL Scottish Politics: It's time for SNP to be more disruptive in Westminster

Ruth Davidson was a previous winner of Politician of the Year despite her conspicuous lack of policies

Letters Deja vu when it comes to Unionist so-called politicians of the year

Anas Sarwar and Nicola Sturgeon disagreed over cancer service provision in Tayside

fmqs sketch Kirsty Strickland: Sturgeon and Sarwar clash over cancer services in punchy FMQs

Nicola Sturgeon has defended the latest pay offer put to teachers

Nicola Sturgeon: Pay offer to teachers was fair and on par with other council workers

Lady Susan Hussey photographed in 2011. Brendan O'Hara was not allowed to continue with his point about her behaviour

Speaker cuts off SNP MP for raising Buckingham Palace racism complaint

Nicola Sturgeon said that gender reform was not being

Gender reform is not being 'rushed through' parliament, says Nicola Sturgeon

A recent poll has found support for Scottish independence is in the lead by four points

comment Latest independence poll is a mixed bag for Yes movement