SCOTTISH Labour leader Anas Sarwar has been dealt a blow after an activist who was sacked as a candidate for her Yes views has been elected to a top party role.
Hollie Cameron gave an exclusive interview to the Sunday National in March where she expressed support for independence and a second referendum. Days later she found herself de-selected as a candidate.
Now, however, Cameron's political career has bounced back after she was elected as constituency chair of Labour's Glasgow Kelvin branch.
"I have been elected Chair of Glasgow Kelvin CLP and I'm thankful to the members who persevered through tonight's extended meeting.
"They represent the best of our movement. Thrilled to champion the working class in a year that will be vital for Glasgow, Scotland and the world!" she wrote last night on Twitter.
Cameron, who was Scottish Labour's original candidate for the Glasgow Kelvin constituency in the May election, told the Sunday National that a second vote on Scottish independence could take place in the next parliamentary term.
She told the Sunday National that she was a Yes voter, and insisted that her party "respects the right" to hold a second vote and that it “should be when the public wants” but added it was "not something I am going to be putting on my leaflets".
"I think we can consider our constitution and rebuild after Covid if there is the political will to do that,” she said. “It is just a matter of whether you think we should have that in the next parliamentary term or not. I say why not?”
She also told the Sunday National: “I do know the Scottish Labour Party has a policy that says the right to have a referendum is something the Scottish Labour Party respects.
“The only quibble appears to be the timing and there are different opinions in the Labour Party. There are some of us who think that timing should be when the public wants and when the electorate wants to have that referendum.
“And there are those who say we can’t possibly have a referendum while trying to rebuild our country after Covid. That to me is something that is not mutually exclusive – I think we can consider our constitution and rebuild after Covid if there is the political will to do that.”
The LabourList website later reported that Cameron was re-interviewed by a Labour Scottish executive committee interview panel and was not able to satisfy the party that she would follow the Scottish Labour group whip if elected as an MSP.
Scottish Labour went into the May election with a manifesto commitment to oppose indyref2.
A senior Labour source told newspapers that Cameron had asked the party for permission to do the interview in advance, but had not been given it.
The SEC panel that sacked her as a candidate includes two senior figures on Labour’s left, the source said. They dismissed her over concerns about whether she would obey the party whip.
Sarwar faced considerable internal criticism at the time over Cameron's sacking.
An open letter attacking her dismissal was signed by the former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and several hundred Labour officials, peers, councillors and activists.
The letter was released by Glasgow Kelvin constituency party and accused the Scottish Labour’s leadership of censoring dissenting voices.
It added that Labour had to be seen by voters as a “broad church” and called for Cameron to be reinstated.
One signatory, an ally of the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, said Cameron’s abrupt dismissal had strong echoes of the UK party’s decision under Keir Starmer’s leadership to suspend Corbyn after he criticised findings of antisemitism in the party late last year.
Left activists believe her de-selection was designed to establish Sarwar’s authority over the party, but insiders said it would backfire by alienating potential Labour voters who back independence.
The open letter also implied the local party agreed with Cameron’s views on the case for holding a fresh referendum. It said local officials and activists knew she was a yes voter and supported independence when they selected her as a candidate.
“Hollie took part in an interview with a journalist at the National outlining her perspective on the constitution and the democratic rights of people in Scotland,” it stated.
“Running in a constituency where over 60% voted for pro-independence parties at the last Holyrood elections, the aim of this interview was to get Labour’s message to a significant constituency who have stopped listening to the party.”
Glasgow Kelvin was won by the SNP's Kaukab Stewart with Patrick Harvie for the Greens coming second. Pam Duncan-Glancy for Labour came third.
All three became MSPs with Harvie and Duncan-Glancy winning seats through the party list system. Stewart was among the first women of colour to get a seat in Holyrood, while Duncan-Glancy made history to become the first wheelchair user to be elected to Holyrood.
Scottish Labour have been approached for a comment.
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