AN SNP MP has shared a post calling for Joanna Cherry to be expelled from the party.
Kirsty Blackman, SNP representative for Aberdeen North, retweeted a comment about her parliamentary colleague which referred to her stance on trans rights.
The post read: “If my party truly stands for trans rights and equality, if our stance is truly 'zero tolerance', then it has to start from within. Joanna C must be expelled from the SNP.
"Show the people of Scotland and the rest of the UK that 'zero tolerance' means exactly that."
Deputy first minister John Swinney was asked about the spat on BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland. He called for “considered and respectful debate”.
Responding to Swinney’s comments, Cheery tweeted: “As a lesbian and a feminist I’ve spent a lifetime campaigning for equality and, to be clear, I support trans rights. What I don’t support is the right of any man to self ID as a woman and access the single-sex spaces which the Equality Act protects for women and girls.
“The Equality Act also makes it unlawful to discriminate against anyone, harass them or victimise them on the grounds of their sex, sexual orientation or beliefs and this law applies to political parties & their representatives as membership organisations.”
Blackman later deleted the retweet. Commenting on social media, the SNP MP wrote: "Have deleted an earlier RT. I am clear though, @theSNP needs to do more to tackle internal transphobia, including sanctioning or expelling those in the party who are transphobic."
Have deleted an earlier RT. I am clear though, @theSNP needs to do more to tackle internal transphobia, including sanctioning or expelling those in the party who are transphobic.
— Kirsty Blackman (@KirstySNP) October 4, 2021
Cherry, who has been a vocal critic of proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act (GRA), was sacked from the SNP’s frontbench in February.
Blackman, who backs the GRA reforms, stepped down as the party’s deputy Westminster leader last year.
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