Holyrood is facing accusations of being a hostile environment for women as a number of female MSPs from the Scottish National Party (SNP) are stepping down before the May 2026 elections. They cite a lack of support from the party, tolerance of bullying and abuse in the chamber and online. Nearly four years after a record number of 58 female MSPs were elected in 2021, 14 SNP women have announced they will not be standing in the next election, making up 23% of the party’s current MSP group. Some departures were expected, such as former first minister Nicola Sturgeon and the veteran MSP Christine Grahame. However, other exits have raised concerns as to why women with promising careers are choosing to leave. MSP Michelle Thomson departed, stating that politics is “very misogynist” and the SNP cannot ignore its internal mechanisms that fail to address improper male behavior. Former minister Elena Whitham expressed concerns about the unsupportive environment faced by women in politics, emphasizing the need for parties and parliament to better support their female members. Natali Don-Innes cited the personal sacrifices of being an elected member and a mother as her reason for stepping down. The hostile environment in Holyrood is attributed to bullying, heckling, and abuse from opposition benches, which discourages women from speaking up. If polling predictions come true, it is feared that the appointment of new MSPs from Reform UK could bring a more aggressive parliamentary culture to Scotland. Additionally, reports of a “hitlist” of female MSPs that some allies of the SNP’s leader, Stephen Flynn, hope to replace added to the concerns. Funding difficulties and membership decline following the police investigation into the party’s finances have also played a role in the current situation. Along with increased online abuse, the gender representation reforms introduced by Sturgeon have been scrapped, further frustrating female MSPs. The party stated that it cannot implement similar mechanisms this time due to legal advice. Only 42% of the approved candidates for the next election are women, further emphasizing the potential setbacks for gender equality in the SNP in 2026.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/mar/23/snp-female-msps-women-stepping-down-elections-holyrood-scotland