SNP MP Joanna Cherry has hit out at Scotland In Union for "scoring petty political points" in criticising her for saying the SNP should rethink its independence strategy. 

Scotland In Union chief executive Pamela Nash said the Edinburgh South West MP is continuing an “unbelievable” focus on indyref2 in the middle of coronavirus. 

She was responding to Cherry's column in The National in which she called for the SNP to have a major rethink about its independence strategy before the 2021 Holyrood elections.

“In the midst of a health emergency, it’s unbelievable that Joanna Cherry’s focus is still on how to break up the UK,” she said.

“Politicians should put aside constitutional divisions to concentrate on working together on behalf of everyone in Scotland at this time of crisis,” she added.

But Cherry hit back on Twitter, saying Nash is the one "scoring petty political points".

She added: "It would be a ludicrous state of affairs if Pamela Nash or @ScotlandinUnion  could dictate the terms of ⁦@theSNP⁩ internal policy discussions. That is what my article was about. It is she not I who is scoring petty political points"

In her column, Cherry said compares Nicola Sturgeon to Winston Churchill, who led the UK through the Second World War, but was turfed out of No 10 in the 1945 general election.

Cherry writes: “Currently, we are at the peak of a crisis led by a leader who is widely respected and trusted. However, when the peak of the crisis is over and we start to return to some degree of normality, that won’t be enough.

“After the Second World War was won, when Britain went to the polls, voters chose not the leader who won the war but Clement Attlee, who had a radical plan for the peace.

“After this crisis is over, people may well be in mood for radical change in Scotland. We need to make sure the SNP is the party of that radical change.”

READ MORE: Joanna Cherry urges SNP to rethink independence strategy

She added: “Currently, we are at the peak of a crisis led by a leader who is widely respected and trusted.

“However, when the peak of the crisis is over and we start to return to some degree of normality, that won’t be enough. After the Second World War was won, when Britain went to the polls, voters chose not the leader who won the war but Clement Attlee, who had a radical plan for the peace.

“After this crisis is over, people may well be in mood for radical change in Scotland. We need to make sure the SNP is the party of that radical change."

READ MORE: Joanna Cherry: SNP need a new strategy so Scotland can thrive