Since 2015 I have been proud to represent the people of Lanark and Hamilton East in the House of Commons. In that time, I have been dedicated to championing equality, tackling poverty, and challenging the excesses of a hard right Tory UK Government.

Serving my community has always been my number one priority. This has, however, come at a personal cost and required many difficult compromises. The unpredictability of Westminster can be challenging with a young family. It is now time to put my partner and our young family at the centre of my daily life. They deserve my full love, attention, and dedication. With them in mind, I have made the decision not to offer myself as a candidate at the next General Election.

It has been the greatest honour and privilege of my life to represent Lanark and Hamilton East, the place I grew up and will always call home. I am very proud of the successes my team and I have achieved for innumerable constituents and the positive changes I have advocated during my three terms in Parliament.

I would like to thank my constituents for placing their trust in me as their Member of Parliament, my family for their unwavering love and understanding, my incredible team of staff past and present, and all the hardworking activists in my SNP family for their endless support and tireless campaigning.

Having been an SNP member since my student days – and after more than 15 years as an elected politician – I recognise not just the huge potential of our part of the world, but the work needed to bring it to fruition. I will continue to campaign tirelessly for independence and a brighter, better future for my family, my community, and the people of Scotland. I look forward to supporting the First Minister and the SNP in sharing that vision and to a future Scottish independence referendum.

I will continue to serve my constituents to the best of my ability until the next General Election, and my office will remain open and accessible until that time.

Angela