Stephen Flynn is the Scottish National Party (SNP) MSP for Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine, having first been elected to the Scottish Parliament at the 2026 Holyrood election.

Flynn previously served as the Scottish National Party (SNP) MP for Aberdeen South from 2019 to 2026. In the 2024 general election, Flynn won 15,213 votes, representing 32.8% of the vote. The Labour candidate, Mohammad Malik, received 11,455 votes (24.7%), while the Conservative candidate, John Wheeler, secured 11,300 votes (24.4%). Flynn was elected with a majority of 3,758 votes.

The Aberdeen South constituency covers the southern part of the City of Aberdeen. Historically, the seat has changed hands between the Conservatives, Labour, and the SNP. Flynn’s immediate predecessor as the MP for Aberdeen South was Ross Thomson of the Conservative Party, who represented the seat from 2017 to 2019. Labour’s Donald Dewar, the former first minister of Scotland, briefly represented the constituency from 1966 to 1970.

Political Career

Flynn serves as cabinet secretary for the economy, tourism and transport (since May 2026). He was appointed to this role immediately upon his election to the Scottish Parliament by the first minister, John Swinney.

Flynn stood down from the parliament at Westminster in May 2026 in order to take up his seat in the Scottish Parliament.

In November 2024, Flynn announced his intention to seek selection as the SNP candidate for the Aberdeen South and North Kincardine seat in the 2026 Scottish parliament election, initially stating he would remain the MP for Aberdeen South. Flynn said he would seek the candidacy for the seat currently held by Audrey Nicoll, who indicated her intention to run for re-election. This plan attracted considerable controversy within the SNP over its stance on so-called “double-jobbing”. Ahead of the 2021 Holyrood election, the SNP changed internal rules to require MPs to resign their seat at Westminster to fight for selection to Holyrood.

Flynn ultimately dropped his plan to “double job”, backing down from his ambition to hold a seat at both Westminster and Holyrood. He nonetheless confirmed his decision to stand for election to the Scottish Parliament in April 2025. Nicoll had outlined her decision to stand down in February.

Flynn led the SNP group at Westminster from December 2022 to May 2026. He succeeded Ian Blackford.

Blackford announced his intention to stand down as SNP leader in the House of Commons after weeks of speculation about his position. Reports suggested forces within the SNP group at Westminster, supportive of Flynn’s prospective candidacy, had applied pressure on Blackford to quit his post. At the time, Flynn dismissed suggestions he was “on manoeuvres” – supported by a band of “men in grey kilts” – with a view to ousting Blackford.

Blackford himself insisted he had not been forced from office, telling reporters that stepping down was his decision. However, the announcement came just two weeks after Blackford stated he intended to stand again for the leadership of the SNP group. Flynn himself had appeared to rule out standing for his party’s Westminster leadership.

On 4 December 2022, Blackford told BBC Scotland: “I took the decision, I need to make sure my talents are used in the right way to support the government and support the first minister.

“I certainly take the view that if I had stood at the AGM that I still would have been the SNP’s Westminster leader but I think now is the right time to allow other people to come forward.”

Flynn was elected leader of the SNP group just five days later, defeating Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss by 26 votes to 17 in a vote of the party’s MPs. Thewliss had not been expected to stand – but threw her hat into the ring following reports Flynn intended to replace much of the SNP’s frontbench at Westminster. In one of his first acts as leader, Flynn announced he would appoint Mhairi Black as his deputy.

Commenting on his accession as SNP group leader, Flynn told the BBC: “We have a lot to do. We have to make that positive, decisive case for Scottish independence and our democratic right to choose.

“But also to hold the Conservative UK government’s feet to the fire on the fact that we have a cost of living crisis and people in Scotland are struggling.”

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In his capacity as Westminster leader of the SNP, then the third largest party in the House of Commons, Flynn was a consistent contributor to prime minister’s questions from 2022 to 2024. In his weekly clashes with Rishi Sunak, the then prime minister, Flynn quickly established a reputation as a forthright and spiky rhetorician.

He would use PMQs to criticise the Labour Party and then-opposition leader Keir Starmer. In one memorable contribution, Flynn mocked the Labour leader as a “born-again Thatcherite” – in a swipe aimed to take chunks out of both Starmer and the prime minister.

Flynn asserted: “With [Rishi Sunak’s Conservative] backbenchers looking for a unity candidate to replace him, which of the now numerous born-again Thatcherites on the Labour frontbench does he believe best fits the bill?”

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In February 2024, an SNP-led opposition day calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza descended into farce after the commons speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, announced he had accepted both the government and Labour’s amendments. It represented a break with convention. By parliamentary convention, an opposition party amendment (in this instance Labour’s) to a motion submitted by another opposition party (the SNP) is not put to a vote when there is also a government amendment.

Hoyle’s decision caused fury on the government and SNP benches – as a series of Labour MPs, under pressure from their constituents, had been planning to vote for the SNP motion. In the end, the government withdrew its amendment, and the Labour motion was carried by “voice vote” – meaning no formal division took place.

House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt said the speaker has “undermined the confidence” of the House in him. Flynn described the speaker’s position as “intolerable”, arguing his party has been treated with “complete and utter contempt”.

Flynn subsequently signed an early day motion (EDM) declaring he had no confidence in the speaker.

Following the 2024 general election, Flynn expressed his support for Lindsay Hoyle – who was re-elected speaker without challenge. In his first contribution to the commons after the election, Flynn acknowledged that he and Hoyle “did not always see eye to eye during the course of the last parliament.”

He added: “But in politics, and in life, it is important to let bygones be bygones and to focus on the future… I look forward to working constructively with you over the coming weeks, months and years, to allow us to best represent the people we respect and the finest traditions of this House.”

The 2024 general election was a disaster for the SNP. The party was reduced from 48 seats to just nine, as Labour was swept into power following fourteen years in opposition. Starmer’s Party won 37 seats in Scotland – up from just one in 2019.

Addressing the commons in post-election speech, Flynn commented: “I wish to begin by welcoming all new [MPs] to the chamber, in particular those from Scottish constituencies.

“There are probably a few more new [MPs] from Scottish constituencies than I would have liked, but I look forward to working constructively with them to deliver in the best interests of the people we are all so fortunate to represent.”

In July 2024, in one of his first acts in the new parliament, Flynn and his rump SNP tabled an amendment to the King’s speech calling on the government to scrap the two-child benefit cap. At the time, Flynn commented: “It’s shameful that Keir Starmer has made the political choice to continue imposing Tory austerity cuts, instead of delivering the change that people in Scotland were promised.

“The Labour government shouldn’t need a taskforce to find a conscience and do the right thing. This cynical attempt to kick the issue into the long grass won’t wash with voters.

“For every day that Starmer dithers and delays, more children will suffer the consequences of Labour inaction.”

The SNP’s amendment was supported by seven Labour MPs – namely, John McDonnell, Zarah Sultana, Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne, Imran Hussain, and Rebecca Long Bailey. All seven rebels had the Labour whip suspended as a result.

Before becoming SNP Westminster leader, Flynn served as the party’s commons spokesperson for business, energy and industrial strategy from February 2021 to December 2022, and as a Treasury spokesperson from January 2020 to February 2021.

Flynn was a member of the House of Commons Scottish affairs committee from November 2024 to June 2025.

Flynn delivered his maiden speech on 30 January 2020 during a debate on global Britain. In it, he stated: “At this juncture, I also want to reflect on the fact that the notion or fantasy that we are hearing about global Britain and taking off the shackles is a convenient decoy for the government, because it allows them not to discuss their record back home: a decade – a decade – of austerity.”

He added: “That is the reality of 10 years of Tory government, so I say to [MPs] opposite: Scotland rejects your austerity and Scotland rejects your Brexit, just as Scotland rejected your prime minister.”

Before entering parliament, Flynn was an SNP councillor for Kincorth/Nigg/Cove ward on Aberdeen City Council from 2015 to 2019, serving as leader of the council’s SNP group from 2016.

Political Views

As a member of the SNP, Flynn advocates for Scottish independence.

In his 2019 maiden speech, he told the House: “We are at a crossroads, and the reality is that only one group of people can be trusted and should be empowered to determine the path that Scotland now takes, and that is the people of Scotland. I will conclude by saying that Scotland’s future should, must and will be put in the hands of the Scottish people once again.”

From 2022 to 2024, Flynn used his PMQs contributions to scrutinise the government’s stance on the conflict in Gaza. Flynn repeatedly and forcefully called on ministers to back an immediate ceasefire, highlighting civilian death toll in Gaza.

In October 2023, Flynn called on the prime minister to condemn what he saw as the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people”.

In January 2024, Flynn cited an ITV news report where an unarmed Palestinian man under a white flag was “shot and killed” by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). He urged the prime minister to describe the attack as a “war crime”.

In May 2024, Flynn called on the government to “halt arms sales to Israel” and end the UK’s “complicity”.

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It was an SNP amendment to the October 2023 King’s speech, tabled in Stephen Flynn’s name, that led to over 50 Labour MPs rebelling against their party by calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The SNP amendment called for an end to the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people” and urged “all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire”. It was backed by 56 Labour MPs, including a series of frontbenchers who resigned their posts in order to back the SNP motion: namely, Jess Phillips, Naz Shah, Afzal Khan, Yasmin Qureshi, Paula Barker, Rachel Hopkins, Sarah Owen, Andy Slaughter, Mary Foy and Dan Carden.

Palestinian recognition letter (July 2025): In July 2025, Flynn was among the over 254 MPs to sign a cross-party letter calling for the government to immediately recognise the state of Palestine. The letter called on the prime minister and foreign secretary to recognise Palestine at the UN Conference then taking place in New York.

Customs union vote (2025): In December 2025, Flynn voted in favour of the UK-EU Customs Union (Duty to Negotiate) Bill. The bill, introduced under the 10-minute rule procedure by Liberal Democrat Europe spokesperson Al Pinkerton, sought to mandate the government to enter into negotiations with the European Union to establish a bespoke customs union. In total, 13 Labour MPs joined the Liberal Democrats in supporting the motion, while the majority of the party abstained.

Winter fuel payment EDM: In September 2024, Flynn signed an early day motion (EDM) expressing concern over the government’s proposed changes to the winter fuel payment. The motion called on the government to “postpone the ending of winter fuel payments and establish a comprehensive strategy to tackle fuel poverty, health inequality and low incomes among older people.”

Before Politics

Born Stephen Mark Flynn in Dundee on 13 October 1988, he attended school in Brechin and Dundee. His father, Mark Flynn, is a Dundee City councillor and became leader of the council in August 2024.

He studied at the University of Dundee, graduating with an MA (Hons) in History and Politics, and an MLitt (Master of Letters) in international politics and security studies.

Prior to being elected himself, he worked as a political researcher and assistant for SNP politicians Callum McCaig MP and Maureen Watt MSP.

Personal Life

Flynn is married to Lynn Flynn, a teacher. They have two young sons.

He has spoken publicly about suffering from avascular necrosis since his teens, which required him to use crutches for 18 years before undergoing hip replacement surgery in 2020.

Trivia

Flynn is a supporter of Dundee United Football Club.

Flynn was a member of the so-called “Tuesday group” of male SNP MPs who met for five-a-side football, beer and curry nights. The Tuesday group was sometimes styled as plotting against Blackford, the former SNP Westminster leader.