Mhairi Black has said she will be standing down at the next General Election.

The SNP’s deputy Westminster leader said she will not seek re-election.

Black, who was the youngest MP ever elected to the House of Commons when she won her seat in 2015 said she is “tired”.

In an interview with Emily Maitlis on the News Agents Podcast she revealed her decision.

She hit out at the culture of Westminster, branding it ”toxic and poisonous”.

Black said: “I’m tired, is a big part of it. The thing that makes me tired is, Westminster is one of the most unhealthy workplaces that you could ever be in.

“It’s a toxic environment. The entire design of the place and how it functions is just the opposite of everything I find comfortable.”

Asked if she meant it was poisonous, she agreed.

She said: “It’s definitely a poisonous place.”

The Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP, said, she has spent too much of her life in Westminster.

She said: “In the runup to the next election it will be nearly ten years I’ll have been there. “A third of my life I’ve spent in Westminster, which gives me the ick.

“I don’t regret doing any of what I’ve done. I’ve been fighting for what I believe in.” Her youth, compared to many other MPs. She said gives her a different perspective.

She added: “I can understand why people get absorbed into the world of Westminster and can spend 30, 40 years there.

"Its got its own culture its own history, which is still alien to me.”

Huza Yousaf, SNP leader and First Minister praised Black for her contribution since becoming an MP.

He said: “It is difficult to overstate the impact that Mhairi Black has had on Scottish and UK politics since her election in 2015 as the youngest MP ever, and more recently as Deputy Leader of the SNP at Westminster.
“She has been a trailblazer - a passionate supporter of independence, equality, social justice, and simply of trying to make life better for her constituents and the wider Scottish public. She has also served as a role model for young people, especially women, with an interest or a desire to get involved in politics.
“I know that Mhairi has been critical of the toxic, hostile environment of Westminster, which serves as an important wake-up call to those who are determined to safeguard our democracy.

"The case for modernising our political system is stark. We must make sure it works for everyone, so we don’t deter people from standing for election or speaking out for what they believe in."