AN SNP by-election candidate singled out for praise at the party’s conference is at the centre of a cronyism row after claims she was "parachuted" into the contest.
Lesley Mitchell, who is close to a political clan headed by an SNP MSP, has sparked a row after being confirmed by party HQ, not local members.
Although she was nominated by 20 branch members, it is understood her nomination was not checked by or presented to the local branch.
Party sources also say the lack of a proper candidate search meant Ms Mitchell was the only person ever considered by party HQ.
In contrast, Labour, the LibDems, Tories and Greens all said their candidates had been selected locally for the Coatbridge South by-election on North Lanarkshire Council.
Sources inside the local party claim Ms Mitchell was favoured as she is close to Coatbridge & Chryston MSP Fulton MacGregor and his family.
Besides working in Mr MacGregor’s constituency office, she is the former partner of his brother Fergus, a local SNP councillor, and has a third brother, Findlay, as her election agent.
All the brothers are linked to a Lanarkshire SNP faction dubbed the McMafia, a group of local power brokers that includes MSPs Richard Lyle and Alex Neil.
At the SNP conference on Monday, deputy party leader Keith Brown namedropped Ms Mitchell during his main address to delegates, and encouraged them to campaign for her.
He said: “I’ve been out campaigning with our fantastic candidate Lesley Mitchell in the Coatbridge byelection, and I know with her formidable campaign machine we can go on and win that byelection, and I would urge as many of you as possible, perhaps even on your way back from conference, to go and help out in the Coatbridge byelection.”
The byelection, on October 25, was prompted by the death of Labour councillor Gordon Encinias in August, and the SNP have been campaigning hard to gain the seat on the Labour-run authority.
An SNP source said: “The selection was made by HQ with no branch member input.
“The membership has long complained about the nepotism and cronyism being practiced in Coatbridge and have voiced a strong opposition of what they see is a return to how Labour used to function for decades in the past.
“It seems democracy is pipe dream for Coatbridge and Chryston.“
Another said: “That initial nominations were not taken at a branch meeting is not normal.”
Fulton MacGregor, who was elected to Holyrood in 2016, testified in a recent defamation case at the Court of Session that the local SNP was blighted by infighting.
The Greens said their candidate, Rosemary McGowan, was selected unanimously by her local branch at a meeting last month.
Labour’s Geraldine Woods was selected by local members from an all women shortlist.
The Tories said their North Lanarkshire Association chose Ben Callaghan, and the LibDems said their candidate, Christopher Wilson, was selected by the local party.
A Scottish Labour spokesman said: “It speaks volumes that not only could SNP chiefs not trust local party members to behave themselves enough to select their own candidate, they were reduced to parachuting in a candidate from Airdrie as they evidently didn't think any of the Coatbridge members were suitable. The SNP is in disarray in Coatbridge.”
Asked about the criticisms of Ms Mitchell and her links to the MacGregor family, an SNP spokesperson: “Lesley Mitchell was nominated by local members in the usual way. Hopefully all our members in the area will be out supporting the campaign.”
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