THE SNP’s youngest MP has revealed she has never had a proper talk with Nicola Sturgeon and that Alex Salmond offended her by suggesting she get a makeover.
Mhairi Black, tipped as a future leader since being elected aged 20 in 2015, said the party failed to look after its politicians and needed a “kick up the backside” to change its ways.
“It might be an idea for Nicola to take the time to talk to folk,” she told Holyrood magazine.
The gay Paisley MP has been feted by the SNP leadership since her maiden speech on benefit sanctions went viral and was viewed more than 10m times online.
However she said she had never had a detailed one-to-one conversation with the First Minister, whose husband Peter Murrell is the SNP’s chief executive.
She said of Ms Sturgeon: “She came down to greet us all [MPs at Westminster] but no, we’ve not had that kind of chat.
“The only time that I really sort of had a conversation with her was when she asked me to do the youth stuff during the Scottish elections, but other than that, no.
“I mean, we’ve been at public things and meet and greets but nothing special.”
Ms Black also said Mr Salmond sat down with her after the 2015 election and offered style advice, suggesting then SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh take her shopping.
Ms Black said: “I was just sitting chatting away to him and the whole time I’m thinking, what’s the point of this meant to be – is this a date, do I need to come out to Alex Salmond?
“It was fine, really, he was just giving me tips here and there and then he says, ‘I’m sure Tas will take you out to go shopping or something at some point and you’ll find your own style’.
“He then said that the last time he’d had this conversation it was with a young woman called Nicola Sturgeon. I thought, ‘Oh, very good’ and I just left the awkward silence hanging when he asked me if I wanted him to arrange it with Tas.
“I’m like, ‘I am never going to be told how to dress, especially by a man.’”
Ms Black said Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop was meant to be candidate mentor in 2015, but the pair had only met twice, adding: “I think I frightened her.”
She said: “I think things should change and that it might be an idea for Nicola to take the time to talk to folk or whatever but I hope that someone else further down the line does have a different experience to me. There should be more care.
“I’m maybe minimising it because it’s myself I’m talking about and I don’t want to make out I was really needy or anything, but I think that’s an area where the party does need a kick up the backside, especially given the kind of caring ethos that we like to preach in the party.”
Holyrood said the full interview would be published tomorrow.
The SNP has been asked for comment.
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