Ash Regan: Voters will back me in Holyrood election despite SNP defection

The former SNP leadership candidate quit the party for Alba, headed by Alex Salmond, at the weekend.

Ash Regan has defected from the SNP to become the Alba Party’s first MSP (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

Ash Regan has said she is confident her constituents would back her as an Alba party candidate in the 2026 Holyrood election following her defection from the SNP.

The former leadership candidate took aim at her ex-party’s independence strategy after confirming she had left the SNP to join the group led by Alex Salmond.

She is now Alba’s first elected representative in the Scottish Parliament despite being elected as an SNP MSP for Edinburgh Eastern in 2016 and 2021.

In an interview with the PA news agency on Monday, Ms Regan said she was not concerned about the possibility of losing her seat in the 2026 election.

“I think people know me, my constituents know me, and they trust me,” she said.

“I think I’ve shown myself to be a politician of conviction that’s prepared to put country before party and that’s prepared to even take decisions and even vote against their party when they feel it’s something their constituents value.”

The former Scottish Government minister resigned from her role last year over her opposition to gender reforms, before running to replace Nicola Sturgeon as leader, placing third in the contest.

Ms Regan also ruled out standing as a candidate in next year’s Westminster elections, adding: “I’m a member of Holyrood so I wouldn’t be standing in a general election, but I would definitely be putting myself forward for 2026.”

I’m at the point now where I don’t feel I can continue to support the independence strategy that the SNP are putting forward. I don’t think it’s a credible independence strategy

Ash Regan, Alba Party

She is the third SNP parliamentarian to leave the party following MPs Angus MacNeil, now an independent, and Dr Lisa Cameron, who defected to the Conservatives.

Ms Regan, now Alba’s Holyrood leader, also dismissed calls from First Minister Humza Yousaf for a by-election following her defection.

She said: “I feel that I was elected on a pro-independence platform that the people that voted for me, albeit under an SNP banner, were voting to progress and achieve Scottish independence.

“I feel I can only do that now by moving over to the Alba party.”

She will now advocate for Alba’s “high bar” independence strategy of achieving more than 50% of the Scottish vote at the Westminster elections by using all pro-independence parties.

She added: “I’m at the point now where I don’t feel I can continue to support the independence strategy that the SNP are putting forward. I don’t think it’s a credible independence strategy.”

However, the former SNP politician wished her former leader Mr Yousaf and the SNP “well” and said she looked forward to working with them in Holyrood.

But Mr Yousaf earlier told PA that he was “not particularly surprised” but “disappointed” by the defection.

He added: “I think if you’re not wanting to advance the case of independence – and the SNP is the largest vehicle to advance the cause of independence – if you’re not committed to that, then frankly, I don’t need you in the party, it’s as simple as that.”

And he said Ms Regan’s position was “not honourable” by choosing not to trigger a by-election.