The SNP’s coalition with the Scottish Greens was partly to blame for the party’s disastrous election, Stephen Flynn has said.

He claimed his colleagues had been punished by voters for “having an argument with the UK Government about a bottle bank” during the cost of living crisis.

The MP for Aberdeen South was speaking to journalists at the party conference in Edinburgh, where members discussed the July vote.

Mr Flynn was one of just nine SNP MPs returned to Westminster, a significant drop on the 48 elected in 2019.

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In a separate interview with Holyrood magazine, Mr Flynn — who is due to address delegates today — said that Humza Yousaf’s decision to kick the Greens out of government likely saved the SNP from losing even more seats.

“It wasn’t working,” he said of the Bute House Agreement. “I think if we’d still been in coalition with the Greens, there wouldn’t be nine SNP MPs.”

Asked to clarify, Mr Flynn said: “It would be less.”

The internal review of the election defeat was held behind closed doors, with only members allowed in.

John Swinney and Kate Forbes (Image: PA/Jane Barlow)

John Swinney opened the session by admitting that he had failed to convince voters of the urgency of independence.

The party’s Policy Development Convener, Marco Biagi, went through polling showing that voters were more concerned about the health service and other issues.

Over the course of the next hour and a half, delegates raised concerns over the party’s messaging and organisation. There was a feeling the party had fallen behind their rivals when it came to campaigning.

There was only an oblique reference to Operation Branchform from the First Minister.

The probe was launched in July 2021 after complaints that £660,000 raised by the party explicitly for a second independence referendum campaign was spent on other items.

Earlier this year, Peter Murrell, the party’s former chief executive — who is married to former first minister Nicola Sturgeon — was re-arrested and charged with the alleged embezzlement of party funds.

One source described it as the “elephant in the room".

“It really is the single biggest issue that has affected the party. It was coming up on the doorstep all the time during the election. It’s why people lost trust in us. It’s why our reputation was damaged.

“I don’t think we should shy away from it.”

They added that it would be hard for the SNP to do well in 2026 unless the investigation is promptly concluded.

Speaking to journalists after the session, Mr Flynn defended the closed-door election review.

He said the internal discussion had allowed members to “reflect upon the fact that the trust we had with the Scottish people was eroded and that’s why, of course, we lost the election".

Membership figures published last week showed the SNP’s membership had fallen to 64,525 as of June this year, down from 74,889 in April 2023 – a drop of nearly 10,000.

Put to him by The Herald that an open discussion could have won over former members, he replied: “We’ve got the largest mass membership political party in Scotland by some distance. I’m very proud that’s the case.

“Members who were able to come here today were able to engage on an internal discussion about the challenges we faced in the run up to the election but also about what to do next and I think that is the right thing to do.”

Asked if members would be confident of winning at 2026 after the discussion, he said: “I do. It builds trust that you’re serious about getting things right.”

He added: “(John Swinney) did his absolute best during that general election. He had my fulsome support in going to be leader, and as leader that will continue.

“He is the best man to ensure the SNP win in 2026.”

But he confessed the party’s chances at Westminster were hampered by “self-inflicted wounds”.

He named the Scottish Government’s deposit return scheme row with the UK Government as one particular hurdle, adding he could “go chapter and verse” on the internal issues but would not comment specifically on whether the controversy around Michael Matheson’s iPad expenses, or Operation Branchform.

Stephen Flynn (Image: Michal Wachucik/PA Wire)

Members in the hall told The Herald they believed the session had been positive.

Jim McKaig said: “Nothing went wrong. It didn't go the way we wanted it to go. It didn't go as we hoped it to go.

“We've got to learn. We got to do more to focus on what our priorities are and although our main priority is so independence we've got to acknowledge that probably wasn't where the public is, because the narrative is moved by the media and other people."

“We've got a mass media that does not want us existing,” he added.

Riona McCormick said: “I think we need to look at what we've done. We need to change we've done. I think we need to do more with social media, putting our facts as they are across so that people are accepting what they're hearing. We haven't been maybe vociferous in doing that.”

Transport minister Fiona Hyslop said: “It was a very frank, candid discussion. Obviously, voters were disappointed with us, because they expect more from us generally, and also, you know, we need to make sure that we get our act in order. People expect a lot from us in lots of different ways. so it was a really good session.”

Responding to Mr Flynn's comments, a spokesman for the Scottish Greens said: “The Scottish Greens have delivered an emergency rent freeze and protections for tenants across Scotland, free bus travel for young people and record investment to tackle the climate and nature emergencies. Which of these changes does Stephen Flynn think weren’t working?

“The Scottish Greens secured our strongest general election result to date while Stephen Flynn led a campaign that saw his party losing 38 MPs.”