Under-pressure First Minister Humza Yousaf tells disgruntled SNP members ‘I don’t need you in the party’ and they can follow defector Ash Regan’s example and quit if they are ‘not committed to Scottish independence’

SNP leader Humza Yousaf launched an astonishing broadside at mutinous party politicians unhappy with his leadership today, telling those ‘not committed’ to Scottish independence: ‘I don’t need you.’

The First Minister made the remarks as he tried to limit the damage from the shock defection of MSP and former leadership contender Ash Regan to Alba at the weekend. 

Ms Regan, who quit the Scottish Government last year over her opposition to Scotland’s gender reforms, is the third senior figure to leave since Mr Yousaf replaced Nicola Sturgeon earlier this year.

The Edinburgh Eastern MSP has been outspoken about her opposition to the party’s direction of travel. 

Speaking to the PA news agency this morning, the First Minister was asked about Alba MP Neale Hanvey’s hint on BBC Radio Scotland that more defections could be imminent – with South Ayrshire councillor Chris Cullen later switching his allegiance. 

Mr Yousaf said: ‘I think if you’re not wanting to advance the case of independence – and the SNP is the largest vehicle to advance the cause of independence – if you’re not committed to that, then frankly, I don’t need you in the party, it’s as simple as that.

The First Minister made the remarks as he tried to limit the damage from the shock defection of MSP and former leadership contender Ash Regan to Alba at the weekend.

Ms Regan, who quit the Scottish Government last year over her opposition to Scotland’s gender reforms, is the third senior figure to leave since Mr Yousaf replaced Nicola Sturgeon earlier this year.

‘I made that very, very clear when I first became First Minister. I’d rather have people who are united behind the vision of delivering for the people of Scotland and advancing our cause.’

Mr Yousaf – who has experienced the loss of three well-known parliamentarians in Angus MacNeil, Tory defector Dr Lisa Cameron and now Ms Regan – said he was not ‘particularly surprised’ by her decision to quit and become Alba’s first MSP and Holyrood leader.

‘Ash Regan, of course, was elected on an SNP ticket – the reason she was elected is because of the SNP logo next to her name on the ballot paper’, he said.

‘For her to defect but not resign, I think is not an honourable position, she should do the honourable thing, the principled thing, and resign.’

Predicting her former party would call for a by-election, Ms Regan said during her address to the conference that it is the SNP’s MSP group who has not lived up to the reason they were elected in aggressively seeking Scottish independence and it is they who should resign.

She said: ‘I could not, in good conscience, continue to be part of a party that has drifted from its path and its commitment to achieving independence as a matter of urgency.’

Another former SNP politician at Holyrood fuelled suggestions he may also switch  to Alba. 

Fergus Ewing, accused Mr Yousaf of ‘sour remarks’ about Ms Regan when he said her departure was ‘no great loss’ at the weekend.

Mr Ewing, an MSP who was stripped of the whip last month for rebelling against the election pact with the Scottish Greens, said she had ‘displayed courage’ in standing up for her beliefs, adding: ‘At the same time our FM still supports as his Government Minister the Green Co-Leader (Lorna Slater) who said she would readily ditch independence for continued Ministerial office – under Labour!’

Ms Regan said she was defecting from the SNP because it had ‘lost its focus on independence’.

The move, announced at the Alba Party conference in Glasgow, came just two weeks after MP Dr Lisa Cameron quit the SNP to join the Tories – with the SNP’s rivals in Scotland saying the latest defection exposed Mr Yousaf’s party as ‘divided and chaotic’.

Speaking to The National newspaper he said he was not surprised by the move, but said if Ms Regan ‘had principles’ she would resign her Edinburgh Eastern seat and spark a by-election.

Source: Read Full Article