JOANNA Cherry has launched a fierce attack on the SNP’s ruling body, urging delegates to the party’s annual conference next month to sack some of the National Executive Committee members when their membership comes to a vote.
Writing in The National today she accused unnamed NEC sources of briefing against her during last year’s General Election campaign as she fought to regain her seat and of concerted efforts to undermine her and get her deselected.
“During the General Election campaign briefing against me from NEC sources continued. This was upsetting not just for me but also for the SNP activists who were working hard in winter weather to have me re-elected as an SNP MP rather than sitting at home briefing Unionist newspapers against SNP candidates,” she said.
“The bulk of NEC members come up for re-election at conference ...
I would hope that [delegates] would consider replacing those who are bringing the party into disrepute by using their position on the NEC to conduct personal vendettas or to clear the field of competition for their own candidacy bids or those of their friends. What we need on our NEC are members whose only priorities are the furtherance of the cause of independence, our country, its people and the party.”
READ MORE: Being on SNP’s NEC should be about independence, not personal vendettas
Cherry described quizzing Attorney General Suella Braverman, on Wednesday over the Internal Market Bill when Braverman raised the NEC changing the dual mandate rules – which had prompted Cherry not to pursue the Edinburgh Central Holyrood selection contest.
“She suggested I should direct my ‘anger closer to home: towards her SNP colleagues and those who sit on the NEC, who, as we speak, appear to be changing the rules to prevent her exclusively from standing as an MSP? Breaking the rules, the SNP could write the textbook on it!’ “I took a point of order ... but as readers of The National know it was impossible for me to correct what she said about the NEC because it is true.”
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