Dundee East MP Stewart Hosie becomes fifth SNP politician to step down at next election

Stewart Hosie has become the fifth SNP MP to announce that he will stand down at the next UK general election.

The veteran politician has represented the constituency of Dundee East for nearly 20 years but will not seek re-election at the next election, expected some time next year.

The party’s former treasurer Douglas Chapman and its former Westminster leader Ian Blackford previously announced their retirement from the UK parliament too.

Glenrothes MP Peter Grant and Lanark & Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley will also stand down.

Announcing his plans quit, Hosie told The Courier said: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to represent the constituency I was born and grew up in.

“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.

“I will also give my full backing to whoever is selected to replace me.”

Hosie has been a member of the SNP for more than four decades and was first elected to the House of Commons in 2005.

He currently serves as the party’s Treasury spokesperson at Westminster and was deputy leader under Nicola Sturgeon between 2014-2016.

At the 2019 UK general election, he won 24,361 votes with a share of 53.8%, more than double the second-place Conservative candidate and an increase from the 2017 general election result.