Joe Fitzpatrick to stand down as Dundee MSP

Before he became the MSP for Dundee West, FitzPatrick served on Dundee City Council, representing Longhaugh for eight years.

He said it was a “tremendous honour” to represent people in the city and increase his vote share in each election.

“I never for a moment expected that I would have the privilege of representing Dundee over the course of four successive parliaments,” he said.

“The transformation of Dundee over the past 27 years has been nothing short of remarkable. There is now a real confidence amongst Dundonians about the city’s progress and its future that just wasn’t really there before.”

He said he was proud of his role in delivering the independence referendum in 2014 and that Dundee supported the Yes vote.

Fiztpatrick added: “After 19 years as an MSP, I feel that now is the right time for me to step down and give someone else the opportunity to stand as the local SNP candidate, so that they can take forward our strong record of delivering for Dundee.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank my constituency team and the wider SNP family who have supported me in everything I have done over the years.”