After a mere eight days having insisting he was going nowhere, the former Scottish National Party Westminster leader has announced his resignation. He leaves behind a Westminster group adrift and mired in ethical scandals. Despite being supported by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the loyalist has still been compelled to resign in what is likely the beginning of the end of the Sturgeon era.

Ian Blackford leaves behind him a Westminster group undermined by chronic mishandling of sexual harassment complaints and questions concerning his own personal hypocrisies.

The fierce loyalist is out, brought down by his own inadequacies and a capricious character hidden beneath the jovial bombast and feigned Bonhomme. But as at Holyrood, the SNP weakness is a complete lack of successor planning, although this represents a chance for a younger generation to come forward.

Ian Blackford and Sturgeon are both the faces of the pro-independence cause, and have been for a long time. His defenestration is well deserved and it represents the crumbling of the small circle old guard currently dominating the SNP.

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