ABERDEEN South MP Stephen Flynn is the favourite to replace Ian Blackford as the SNP’s leader at Westminster, with sources suggesting there will be no contest for the top job.

The parliamentary party is due to hold its Annual General Meeting next Tuesday, which could mean Mr Flynn is in place to face Rishi Sunak at next Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions. 

His rise to the top comes after two botched attempts to oust Mr Blackford.

Last month, The Times reported that Mr Flynn had told senior officials he wanted to take on the top job. 

The MP later tweeted: "I can confirm I've no intention of standing."

It is understood he was persuaded not to stand by allies of Nicola Sturgeon. 

Dundee-born and Brechin raised Mr Flynn has been an MP since 2019’s general election when took the seat off the Tories.

His first day in Westminster had to be delayed by two weeks when his wife gave birth to their baby boy three days after the election.

Prior to Westminster, he was a councillor in Aberdeen, serving as the SNP group’s leader. He also worked as a researcher to MSPs and MPs.

Currently, the 34-year-old father of one holds the party’s Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy brief. 

His support for the oil and gas industry could see him at odds with Nicola Sturgeon. 

Last year, when the First Minister wrote to the then prime minister, Boris Johnson, calling for all new oil and gas extraction licenses to be reassessed in light of the climate crisis, he warned about being “in a situation where we are ever more reliant on imports.”

Mr Flynn is a keen Dundee United fan, often travelling down to the city from his home in Aberdeen to watch games.