Former SNP chief whip Patrick Grady MP stands in party's internal contests

Patrick Grady stepped aside from the senior role in the Westminster group in March amid a party investigation.

The National understands the complaint against Grady, who is standing for a position on the party's conferences committee, was withdrawn in July.

The former SNP chief whip at Westminster. Photograph: Martin Shields.

As revealed by The National earlier Colin Beattie, the party's national treasurer, faces a challenge from a rival. 

It had been thought that party president Michael Russell was also being challenged but it later emerged that a candidate listed in the contest had withdrawn and may have put his name forward in error.

The post as policy development convener is also being contested with Toni Giugliano standing against the incumbent Chris Hanlon.

Hanlon was elected to the role last November in a surprise result, defeating senior MP and former MEP Alyn Smith.

Giugliano was the SNP's candidate for Dumbarton at this year's Holyrood election. He failed in his bid to oust Labour MSP Jackie Baillie with Tory voters backing the Labour MSP amid a surge in tactical voting which took place across many parts of Scotland.

Russell is being challenged by leading retired solicitor Graeme McCormick while Beattie faces senior activist Douglas Thomson.

The ballot for the NEC and other internal party contests opens on Friday at the start of the SNP's annual conference which is being held virtually. It continues throughout the event with the winners due to be announced on Monday, the final day of the conference.

Last year's NEC contests were dramatic, with a host of candidates critical of the party's strategy on independence and on reform of gender recognition laws elected to the body.

Some of those elected to NEC roles later left the party to join Alba, the pro-independence party led by former SNP leader and First Minister Alex Salmond, which launched ahead of the Holyrood elections.

Here is the full list of candidates:

National Treasurer
Colin Beattie
Douglas Thomson

Local Government Convener
Cameron McManus
Kelly Parry

Policy Development Convener
Toni Giugliano
Chris Hanlon

Member Support Convener
Alexander Belic
Michael Blackshaw
Jonathan Mackie

Women's Convener
Kat Cary
Jen Layden

Equalities Convener
Charlotte Armitage
Summer Chen
Kirsteen Fraser
Kate Monahan

Disabled Members' Convener
David Allan
Jamie Szymkowiak

National Executive Committee
NEC - Central Scotland (Open)
David Allan
Findlay MacGregor
NEC - Glasgow (All-female)
Christina Cannon
Lorna Finn
NEC - Glasgow (Open)
Malcolm Balfour
Christina Cannon
Lorna Finn
James Healey-Ryder
Alex Kerr
NEC - Highlands and Islands (Open)
Ian Cockburn
Ewan Hamilton
Munro Ross
NEC - Lothian (All-female)
Eleanor Bird
Shelly-Ann Brown
Kat Cary
Susi McDonald
NEC - Lothian (Open)
Danny Aston
Michael Blackshaw
Shelly-Ann Brown
Kat Cary
Robert De Bold
Andrew Ewen
Iain Maciver
Dylan Roberts
NEC - North East Scotland (All-female)
Anouk Kloppert
Siobhan Tolland
Ruth Watson
Maureen Watt
NEC - North East Scotland (Open)
David Birkett
Anouk Kloppert
Ciaran McRae
Lee Mills
Siobhan Tolland
Ruth Watson
Maureen Watt
NEC - West Scotland (All-female)
Summer Chen
Sophie Traynor
NEC - West Scotland (Open)
Summer Chen
Graeme McCormick
Sophie Traynor

Conferences Committee (All-female) (Five to be elected)
Christina Cannon
Summer Chen
Lynne Copland
Laura Doherty
Emma Hendrie
Anouk Kloppert
Fiona Robertson
Kairin van Sweeden
Susan Wilkinson
Conferences Committee (Open) (Five to be elected)
David Allan
Malcolm Balfour
Alexander Belic
Declan Blench
Christina Cannon
Summer Chen
Lynne Copland
John Cumming
Laura Doherty
Toni Giugliano
Patrick Grady
Chris Hanlon
Emma Hendrie
Jonny Kiehlmann
Anouk Kloppert
Graeme McCormick
Kenny MacLaren
James Oliver
Fiona Robertson
Munro Ross
Kairin van Sweeden
Susan Wilkinson
Malcolm Mitchell

Policy Development Committee
PDC - Central Scotland (Open)
David Allan
Cameron McManus
PDC - Glasgow (All female)
Laura Doherty
Katy Loudon
Mhairi Love
PDC - Glasgow (Open)
Alexander Belic
John Cumming
Laura Doherty
James Healey-Ryder
Katy Loudon
Mhairi Love
PDC - Highlands and Islands (Open)
Peter Cairns
Munro Ross
PDC - Lothian (All-female)
Shelly-Ann Brown
Sally Donald
Susi McDonald
PDC - Lothian (Open)
Shelly-Ann Brown
Sally Donald
Andrew Ewen
Iain Maciver
Timothy Rideout
Dylan Roberts
PDC - North East Scotland (All-female)
Lynne Copland
Fiona Robertson
Kairin van Sweeden
Siobhan Tolland
Ruth Watson
Maureen Watt
PDC - North East Scotland (Open)
Georgios Ion Aivatidis
Lynne Copland
Qaiser Habib
Fiona Robertson
Kairin van Sweeden
Siobhan Tolland
Ruth Watson
Maureen Watt
PDC - South Scotland (Open)
Michael Hawthorne
Daniel Hooper-Jones
Stephen Thompson
PDC - West Scotland (Open)
Ian Gallagher
Colin Milne

Member Conduct Committee (Nine to be elected)
Malcolm Balfour
Ann Ballinger
Declan Blench
Sinéad Collins
John Cumming
Jérémie Fernandes
Kirsten Grier
Qaiser Habib
Emma Hendrie
Graham Leadbitter
Dec Magee
Paul McCabe
Dylan Mac Aodha
Graeme McCormick
Kenny MacLaren
Russell David McLean
Dylan Roberts
Fiona Robertson
Munro Ross
Owen Thompson
Ruth Watson
Elaine Wylie

Conduct Appeals Committee (Seven to be elected)
David Allan
Kenneth Andrew
Marco Biagi
Michael Blackshaw
Roderick Campbell
Alexander Carmichael
Summer Chen
Cameron Downing
Ewan Hamilton
Lachlan McNeill