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 has been the “honour of my life” and pledged to continue dedicating time to local activism and the fight for Scottish independence.
Ms White, who was among those elected when the Scottish Parliament reconvened in 1999, said she has “no doubt that we will see independence for Scotland in my lifetime”.
First elected as a Glasgow regional member, she won her current seat in 2007, being re-elected in 2011 and 2015.
Prior to becoming an MSP, she spent a decade as an SNP councillor on Renfrewshire Council.
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.
Her decision not to stand means a third of Nicola Sturgeon's cabinet won't be back in May.
READ MORE: Jeane Freeman to stand down at 2021 Holyrood election
White said: “I have been involved in frontline politics for the majority of my life, spending over three decades as an elected representative. I first became involved to fight for social justice and equality for all. I would like to hope that my contribution over these many years has delivered an improvement to people’s lives both locally and further afield.
“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.
“Having been elected to all five sessions of our Parliament since its reconvening in 1999, this has given me the opportunity to sit on almost every committee either as an ordinary member, deputy convener or convener.”
“Highlights have definitely included my election as the convener of the Social Security Committee, which allowed me to oversee the creation of our own system, shaped to fit the needs of the people of Scotland while ensuring it had dignity and respect at its heart.
“The single greatest piece of work I directly oversaw was without doubt the Responsible Parking Bill, which was adopted by the Government in to their recent Transport Bill. This change in the law will have a direct impact in Glasgow Kelvin and across Scotland, making our streets safer for all.”
While pledging to continue work supporting the people of Palestine and “other international causes where people face oppression and seek social justice – such as in Catalunya”, she said she hoped “people will remember me as a grassroots MSP who prioritised their constituency and constituents above all else”.
She added: “While I may be stepping back from public office I will most certainly be active in Kelvin as we continue on the road to independence and the next referendum. I look forward to helping the next Indy Ref campaign get over the line and I have no doubt that we will see independence for Scotland in my lifetime.”
Other SNP MSPs to confirm they will be stepping down in May include Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham, Constitution Secretary Mike Russell, Gail Ross and Bruce Crawford.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel