Is open debate now too painful for the SNP? Fergus Ewing, one of the party’s longest serving (and most outspoken) politicians has tonight been suspended for a week after criticising his own government’s ministers and policies. The disciplinary action comes after a series of statements Ewing made in recent months attacking the direction of the SNP — which in some cases resulted in his voting against government itself. Heresy in Humza Yousaf’s ultra-conformist regime…
It was thought Ewing would lose the whip in June after he voted with the opposition in the no confidence vote against junior minister Lorna Slater — a decision deemed ‘very, very serious’ by Yousaf — whose deposit return scheme policy has cost Scottish businesses tens of millions of pounds and is delayed until 2025. But moments after the vote, Yousaf was hurried away — not to suspend Ewing, but to announce the death of his mother, SNP trailblazer Winnie Ewing. The fate of the Inverness and Nairn MSP was temporarily put on hold.
A thorn in the side of the SNP for a number of months, the veteran politician hasn’t been subtle about his disdain of nationalist policies. From ripping up legislation on Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) in the Chamber to slating his party’s coalition partners (the Scottish Greens) as ‘wine bar revolutionaries’, Ewing has not been silent on the problems facing his constituents. And it’s no secret he’s not a fan of Yousaf either: Ewing endorsed the FM’s pro-business rival Kate Forbes during the SNP leadership contest.
Tonight, Ewing slammed the changes his party has made, telling reporters:
[The SNP] was never an ordinary political party because it was one which put Scotland first. In good conscience this is no longer the case.
He continued:
The SNP I joined would never have asked me, or indeed any other elected politician, to choose between loyalty to party and loyalty to constituents. Indeed in the old SNP it was always expected that country and constituency would come first. That is why the SNP, while often attacked, was always respected… So what am I to do now? Am I to pretend that [promises] were never made or to gull my constituents into thinking they have been treated fairly when they clearly have not?… I choose to defend my constituents and Iet the cards fall as they will.
Ouch.
Only weeks ago, Ewing’s inflammatory speech at the Holyrood magazine’s political awards — where the backbencher raged against almost every prominent policy his party has recently discussed — prompted senior SNP figures to brief the media that the veteran was to be disciplined. Yet sources close to the Inverness and Nairn MSP have hinted at toxicity within the party, suggesting that the SNP ‘jury’ is not ‘impartial’ — so much so that Ewing took his own lawyer, John Campbell KC and counsel to the infamous Holyrood inquiry, to the hearing. Meanwhile Forbes advised that SNP leaders should be ‘extraordinarily careful’ when making their decision to discipline Ewing. Indeed, Forbes was one of the politicians standing by Ewing’s side as he made his statement to the press this evening. Are dividing lines being drawn? Mr S can only speculate.
But more than Ewing himself, tonight’s decision illustrates the malcontent existing in the nationalist party, internal disagreements that Yousaf has been unable to put to bed. Ewing’s suspension will be viewed as controversial by many, not least because of how popular a politician he is amongst his constituents — voters the SNP very much needs…
Comments