SNP MPs have written to Nicola Sturgeon and their party’s ruling body, calling for them to reverse a controversial decision to stop sitting MPs from standing for the Scottish Parliament.
More than a quarter of the Westminster group, including both long-serving politicians and those elected for the first time last year, have signed a letter urging the National Executive Committee (NEC) to overturn the policy made last month.The National has been told that other elected politicians are considering adding their names as the revolt over the rule change grows.
Their letter states: “We, the undersigned MPs, are writing to question the recent NEC decision regarding dual mandates which currently appears to only apply to MPs.
“There are several arguments against this policy but there is a danger that giving up a Westminster constituency in advance of the Holyrood election could appear complacent and arrogant to the electorate, thus risking the loss of both seats.” It adds: “We therefore ask that the decision, which emerged from the last NEC meeting, be reversed without delay.”
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Eleven MPs first signed the letter when it was sent to the party’s national secretary Angus MacLeod and all members of the NEC, including the party leader and First Minister yesterday morning.
Two more MPs added their names late yesterday.
The first eleven were Douglas Chapman, Ronnie Cowan, Martyn Day, Allan Dorrans, Neale Hanvey, Kenny MacAskill, Angus MacNeil, Carol Monaghan, Tommy Sheppard, Chris Stephens and Richard Thomson. Steven Bonnar and John McNally later added their names.
The list does not include some of those who have previously criticised the decision, including Joanna Cherry QC (below) and Philippa Whitford. None of the signatories currently have any ambition to stand for Holyrood.
Previously MPs could seek to stand for election to Holyrood, and give up their Westminster seat if successful. Alex Salmond had previously served as both an MP and an MSP.
Last month’s rule change caused uproar among some who regarded it as a way of stopping Cherry, the MP for Edinburgh South West, from seeking the party’s nomination to be the candidate for Edinburgh Central at May’s Holyrood election.
Angus Robertson, the SNP’s former depute leader, launched his bid earlier to become the Edinburgh Central candidate and there was a suspicion the rule change was a means to enhance his selection chances. After the NEC’s decision, Cherry announced she would not be running “unless circumstances change”. She said at the time: “It is unprecedented in our party’s history of dual mandates to demand that a parliamentarian make themselves and their constituency staff unemployed in order to be eligible to be a candidate. It is particularly unreasonable to demand this in the middle of a pandemic”.
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SNP members in Edinburgh Central will choose the party’s candidate for the seat, currently held by Ruth Davidson. The Scottish Tory ex leader is stepping down next year to move to the Lords and the seat is a key target for Sturgeon’s party as it bids to win a record fourth term in power. After Cherry changed her mind about standing, ex minister Marco Biagi threw his hat into the ring.
Sturgeon said last month: “This is a decision the NEC took which was not about barring a Westminster MP standing for Holyrood, but saying that if you were selected as a Holyrood candidate then in enough time before the election, you have to demit your Westminster seat in order to allow the by-election to be on the same day as the Holyrood election. The NEC, I think, wanted to guard against the possibility of lots of Westminster MPs deciding to stand and then creating a whole slew of by-elections.”
A SNP spokesperson said the party has a policy on not commenting on leaks.
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