Published 11th Feb 2024, 04:55 GMT

Stephen Flynn has revealed the SNP will target Scotland's northern seats, particularly Douglas Ross's constituency, at the looming general election, as he stressed his party must learn how to "re-inspire" voters again to turn their fortunes around.

The group's Westminster leader said the SNP must unveil "big policy pitches" to steal a march on the "threat" posed by Labour, claiming under Humza Yousaf they could win back voters in areas such as energy on the back of Sir Keir Starmer’s U-turns.

Speaking exclusively to The Scotsman, Mr Flynn questioned what the Labour party actually believed in, while also admitting the SNP must be realistic about the “threat” the opposition party posed.

SNP's Westminster leader Stephen Flynn. Picture: John Devlin

His comments, made before Labour confirmed on Thursday it was ditching a key pledge to spend £28 billion a year on green projects, come as Sir Keir insisted Labour was being “straight” with voters.

Mr Flynn, the MP for Aberdeen South, admitted the SNP had suffered “challenges, but pointed to strong polling in support of independence, suggesting that stressing the values of his colleagues could help not just maintain seats, but make gains.

Recent polling has seen the SNP’s lead gradually shrink, with Ipsos’s Scottish Political Monitor published earlier this week indicating the lead enjoyed by Humza Yousaf’s party over Scottish Labour was down to just seven points in Westminster voting intention.

Other surveys, such as one carried out by Survation earlier this month, went as far as projecting the SNP and Labour will would the same number of seats at the next general election.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn called for his party to "reinspire" voters.

Asked about the polling, which has shown a gradual collapse in vote since Mr Yousaf succeeded Nicola Sturgeon to became SNP leader, Mr Flynn insisted his party could turn things around.

He said: “I don’t think anyone who has been paying attention to politics for the last 12 months would be unaware of the challenges that the SNP has faced, some of which has been of our own making, some of which probably hasn't. There was always going to be a knock-on impact from that in relation to the polling.

“We know we are there or thereabouts in terms of still being in the lead. But we also know that 50 per cent of Scots still want Scotland to be an independent country. We need to re-inspire those folk to stick with the Scottish National Party and ensure that when we get onto that battleground of the big ideas, we have a message that the public can buy into.”

Asked about potential seat losses, Mr Flynn insisted his party could make gains as he revealed which opposition seats the SNP would be targeting.

He said: “I want us to retain every seat we have and I want us to be in a position where we can seek to gain seats. Obviously the boundary changes have changed the name of it, but the seat that Douglas Ross holds would be one we are seeking to target.

Further north, [there is Lib Dem MP] Jamie Stone’s [Caithnes

Exclusive:Stephen Flynn says SNP must 're-inspire' voters ahead of UK general election as he revealed party will target northern seats, including Douglas Ross constituency