An Aberdeen SNP MSP has denied being pushed to stand down from the Holyrood 2026 election after her seat was eyed by Stephen Flynn.
The P&J spoke to Ms Nicoll in her first interview since announcing her decision to no longer stand for selection in Aberdeen South and North Kincardine.
It comes just a few months after Mr Flynn, MP for Aberdeen South, announced his plan to target her seat at Holyrood in the 2026 elections while remaining at Westminster.
After a fierce backlash inside the party the MP later said he would no longer seek a dual manage to stand as an MSP, admitting he’d “got this one wrong”.
Ms Nicoll told the P&J she understood why people are “drawing their conclusions” about her announcement but that it’s been all her own choice.
Personal family circumstances and the fact she will be 65 at the next election have both played into her decision to withdraw after 45 years in public service.
‘I’ve not been pushed out’
The former police detective said: “I want to make it clear I’ve not been pushed out.
“I have worked all my life and have worked with men all my life and I’m not in the habit of being told or pressurised with regard to what I should do particularly with my career.
“I think if I had made the decision to go for selection, I would have been a strong candidate. I’ve brought significant life experience into the parliament.
“I went to the parliament hitting the ground running and picked up the convenorship of one of the heaviest committees in the parliament with next to no political experience.”
But the north-east MSP described the last few months as “unsettling” for herself and colleagues who are facing contests to stand in their constituencies.
‘Career politician’
On Mr Flynn, she said she “doesn’t know” what his plan is regards standing in the seat.
But she described him as a “career politician” who is “ambitious” and compared his credentials to her previous professional background in the police.
While the Aberdeen MP has confirmed he will no longer seek a dual mandate, he has yet to confirm whether he still intends to run for a Holyrood seat.
There have been reports in recent days that allies of Mr Flynn are drawing up a so-called “hit list” of standing female MSPs they wants to replace with ex-SNP MPs.
A source close to the MP said the plot claims were “nonsense and untrue”.
Ms Nicoll said she was not aware of any list but cautioned against “speculation”.
“Over the next year, the party will look to retain the gender balance that we have in Holyrood at the moment and that’s a good thing”, she said.
“Women are a huge asset to the SNP group and I think we really need to be careful that things like speculation around a list don’t detract from that.”
And does she think Mr Flynn would be the right person to succeed her?
“On that question, I don’t know”, she said.
“My focus would be on the branch having, and the electorate having, the opportunity to select someone that will really represent them.
“And someone who is respectful and is compassionate so you really need all these things not just political insight and talent.
“There’s a lot more to being a good parliamentarian than being politically talented.”
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