SNP members in Falkirk say the party will be "hammered" at the next Holyrood election if Michael Matheson is their candidate.

It is understood the former health secretary has put his name forward to stand again in the Falkirk West constituency where he is defending a majority of 14,149.

That's despite being suspended from the Scottish Parliament over his £11,000 iPad data roaming charge.

The deadline to apply to be considered for selection as an SNP candidate for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election closed on Monday.

READ MORE

All those who have applied, including Mr Matheson, will have to go through vetting.

One local member suggested it was unlikely the ex-minister would get the all-clear from SNP HQ's checks. 

Earlier this year, he was suspended from Parliament for 27 days and lost his salary for 54 days, the harshest punishment ever meted out by Holyrood.

An Falkirk SNP member said: “I like Michael, but he needs to understand his time’s up. It’s going to be a tight contest here and if he’s the candidate we’d have no chance. His name is mud in Falkirk.

"If he thinks activists will knock on doors to defend his actions he’s living in a parallel universe.”

Another local activist added: “How does Michael Matheson think he can stand again here? His lack of self-awareness astounds me.

“If, and it's a big if, he passes vetting, the SNP will lose every shred of integrity and credibility.

“He needs to go. If Michael is the candidate, we'll get hammered in Falkirk and all Labour would do is to nonstop talk about the iPad situation.”

Falkirk had been one of the SNP’s safest Westminster seats, with the party going into July’s election with a majority of 14,948. However, a swing of 26 points saw Labour’s Euan Stainbank take the constituency with a majority of 4,996.

In the wake of the vote, the SNP’s candidate Toni Giugliano said Mr Matheson’s iPad scandal had played a part in his defeat.

“An MSP found to have breached rules on parliamentary expenses must never again be protected - quite the opposite, they must be removed from office,” he said.

At first, Mr Matheson claimed the bill was the result of parliamentary work while on a family holiday in Morrocco and a misunderstanding with a new sim card.

He then blamed his teenage sons, telling MSPs in an emotional statement on November 16 last year that he had discovered his boys had been watching football during the family trip.

He said he had been told by his wife on November 9 that the teenagers had used his parliamentary device as a wifi hotspot.

However, on November 13, when asked directly if there was "any personal use" of the device during the family holiday, he told reporters: "No”

It also emerged that he met with parliamentary authorities, including Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone, during the period and did not tell them his teens were responsible for racking up the charges.

There will likely be fierce competition for the SNP’s available seats with a number of sitting MPs and their defeated colleagues looking to be selected.

Deirdre Brock, Hannah Bardell, and Steven Bonnar are all understood to have applied.

Dave Doogan and Stephen Gethins, both of whom currently have Westminster constituencies, have also submitted their papers.

Stephen Flynn, the party’s Westminster leader, has confirmed he will seek to oust incumbent SNP MSP Audrey Nicoll in Aberdeen South and Kincardine.

His decision to remain as an MP even if returned to Holyrood has sparked anger from party colleagues.