ONE of the SNP’s newest MPs has urged independence supporters to “keep the heid” following an intense bout of fighting over how best to secure independence.

Writing for the Scots Independent and today’s National, Richard Thomson said he feared the “electoral strength of the SNP has made people complacent” and led them to forget that independence support was “viewed as the preserve of cranks and eccentrics rather than as the emerging, mainstream popular majority position”.

The MP for Gordon claims the “Tories are writing off any lingering hopes they had for winning next May” and are now focusing on depriving the SNP of a majority, “so that even if there is a pro-independence Parliament, they can try to hold this up as a reason for not ‘allowing’ indyref2, potentially forcing us into the courts in search of lawful confirmation instead”.

However, Thomson suggests the Prime Minister’s recent trip north of the Border and last week’s “defenestration” of Jackson Carlaw shows the Tories are “getting themselves sorted out in preparation for the self-same indyref2 that they are still publicly adamant isn’t going to happen.”

He argues: “If the Tories were really confident of being able to block indyref2, surely they’d just have let Carlaw bumble on, repeatedly saying no in the hope enough SNP folk would just fold like wet cardboard and start squabbling over who wants independence the fastest and over the best way to get it? But then, the Tories aren’t that daft, which is why they are paying the SNP the compliment of assuming that it isn’t that daft either.”

READ MORE: Keep faith in SNP and we can make indyref2 an unstoppable reality

Meanwhile, the SNP’s Annabelle Ewing has confirmed she intends to stand again in the Cowdenbeath seat she has held since 2016. Ewing, who had stints in both Westminster and Holyrood, said she had been “humbled by the support” to stand again from constituents and party members.

She said:”At its heart, politics is about people and it is about dignity. That is what motivates me and it is why I will be putting my name forward to the SNP as a prospective parliamentary candidate”.

The party’s former head of communications is also hoping to get a seat in Holyrood next year.

Fergus Mutch has declared his intention to be the party’s candidate in Aberdeenshire West.

He contested the Westminster seat in last year’s General Election, reducing the majority of Tory MP Andrew Bowie from 8000 to just over 800 votes.

In 2016, the Holyrood seat was won by the Scottish Tories, with millionaire Alexander Burnett defeating the SNP’s Dennis Robertson with a wafer thin majority of just 900.

Mutch said he would make health, the economy and independence his priorities if selected by local SNP members as their candidate: “I’m asking SNP members in Aberdeenshire

West to trust me as their candidate to win Aberdeenshire West next May.”