A VETERAN SNP husband and wife team will contest the same council ward against each other after she was de-selected in a bid to improve the party's chance of power in Lanarkshire.

Michael and Agnes Coyle are at the centre of the so-called 'Monklands McMafia' feuds and are the fulcrums of an old-guard power base which includes former minister Alex Neil and local MSP Dick Lyle.

But although both were axed from the SNP's candidate list during party vetting, Mr Coyle, a former deputy leader of the SNP in North Lanarkshire, was given a political lifeline having secured a place on appeal. They will now both contest Airdrie South, which they have jointly represented on an SNP ticket in the last council term, with Mrs Coyle standing as an independent.

Notably however she will leave her party affiliation blank on the ballot paper rather than opting for the inclusion of the word 'independent'.

The couple's daughter, Sophia Coyle, also survived vetting and will contest Airdrie North for the SNP.

The details have emerged after another North Lanarkshire SNP councillor announced she had quit the party on eve of the campaign, accusing party headquarters of turning a blind eye to bullying.

Julie McAnulty, whose whistleblowing played a role in several council corruption probes, said she had been forced out of the party by a "self-serving cabal" which she said had left local branches "in chaos".

She said SNP bosses had refused to intervene and indeed "punished those who dare to speak out about the trouble within our party".

Ms McAnulty had been approved as a candidate following party vetting but was not selected by her Coatbridge and Chryston SNP branch.

Announcing she would be standing as an independent in the Coatbridge North ward, Ms McAnulty said her brand had been "hijacked by a small but powerful cabal of people who are completely self serving and despite the most appalling behaviour, seem completely impervious to any form of censure".

One of the key figures in Ms McAnulty's branch is Dr Imtiaz Majid, who previously failed to pass SNP vetting for inclusion on the party's list of approved candidates for the May 4 poll.

Dr Majid was heavily criticised by a sheriff last year for trying to cheat his ex-wife out of a fair divorce settlement by hiding assets and claiming to have lost a fortune a gambling addiction. He was another linked to the feud de-selected by the party during vetting.

Nicknamed “Don Coyleone”, Mr Coyle last year denied being linked to organised crime after a former SNP member’s car was destroyed in a fire, and claimed the police had exonerated him.

He said: “I’ve been accused of gangsterism and having links to organised crime. It’s outrageous. The police conducted a thorough investigation then sent me a letter saying the allegations are not true.”

The Herald attempted to contact Mr and Mrs Coyle but they did not respond.

A Labour spokesman said: "The SNP's council campaign is in chaos before it has even kicked off. People in Coatbridge and Airdrie will be sick of reading about the toxic atmosphere inside the Lanarkshire SNP.

“In North Lanarkshire, Labour candidates stand the best chance of beating the SNP. Only Labour has a plan to move North Lanarkshire forward, not backwards with another divisive referendum."

Commenting on Ms McAnulty's resignation, an SNP spokesman said: “Local members voted to place Julie at the bottom of the selection contest. We can fully understand the personal upset that comes from rejection by grassroots members.”