IN the past five years, she’s cost the Scottish Labour leader his seat, then lost that to the Tories, won it back again and become one of her party’s most senior figures. Kirsten Oswald says her political career has been a “real rollercoaster”.
As she begins work in her new role as the SNP’s deputy Westminster leader, she said she’s “looking forward to getting stuck in” and fighting Brexit and Boris Johnson.
“Five years ago, I wouldn’t have imagined myself ever taking this step,” she said. “I feel very, very privileged and so grateful to have this opportunity.”
Oswald achieved one of the biggest results of the 2015 election when she defeated then-Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy in East Renfrewshire with a 4000 majority. But the win turned to a loss in the snap general election of 2017, when Paul Masterton took it for the Conservatives by a similar margin. The seat went back to Oswald in December.
The former HR boss will now use her professional skills to help lead the SNP’s 48-strong Westminster bloc as deputy to Ian Blackford, following the resignation of Kirsty Blackman.
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“I’m looking forward to getting stuck in,’’ Oswald said. “I’m very fortunate that I work with a group of folk that I’m happy to work with.
“It’s really striking how the Tories are working, or not working, for Scotland. The interactions I’ve had with government frontbenchers have been thoroughly depressing, the interaction with the Prime Minister in particular.”
That was in February, when Johnson responded to a question by Oswald by referring to her SNP group as “these people”.
Oswald said that reply was telling, and she believes increasing numbers of Scots are “appalled” by Johnson’s leadership.
“People are looking with fresh eyes at Westminster,” she said.
There is some support within the Yes movement for new pro-indy parties on Holyrood’s regional list – Kenny MacAskill MP said this week that “both votes SNP doesn’t work”.
But Oswald said: “I’m looking forward to campaigning in elections next year. There’s a really straightforward message about how to secure an SNP majority and an independence majority in that election and that’s to vote SNP.”
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