AN SNP MP has accused the party’s ruling NEC of “indulging in political chicanery for their own narrow agenda” amid claims grassroots members have quit over election selection controversies.
Kenny MacAskil, a former justice secretary and current MP for East Lothian, has warned that recent decisions taken by the NEC “have rightly angered members” and that “trust has been broken for some”.
Joanna Cherry announced she was pulling out of the hotly-anticipated selection battle for the Edinburgh Central seat at next year’s Holyrood election after the NEC indicated that she would have to resign as an MP if selected.
READ MORE: SNP MP Cherry quits race for Holyrood
Glasgow Cathcart MSP, James Dornan, was also initially barred from defending his seat next year when the NEC indicated it would impose a women-only shortlist for his constituency – based on an earlier admission he would not seek re-election, which was withdrawn after Mr Dornan said he had “unfinished business” at Holyrood. Following a backlash, the NEC were forced into a sweeping U-turn.
Writing in the Scotsman, Mr MacAskill said the decision “in effect, debarring Joanna Cherry MP from standing as a Holyrood candidate, has seen many members resign”.
But he has appealed that “those most aggrieved should get involved, not leave”.
READ MORE: Backlash grows to SNP leadership's Holyrood 'stitch-up' plan
In a scathing examination of the structure of the NEC, Mr MacAskill claimed that “positions have been created representing organisations rather than grassroots members” and pointed to a “lack of democratic accountability”.
He added: “There are individuals sitting around an NEC table who seem to represent the narrow views of the clique they represent, rather than the wider views of the membership, let alone the cause the party exists for.
“Power needs to belong to the rank and file not anointed groups.”
But Mr MacAskill has indicated that problems with the NEC have existed for some time, warning that trust “has dissipated over recent years”, while “HQ now seems distant and cold to many”.
READ MORE: Senior SNP official branded 'incapable of doing his job' by colleague
The MP has also claimed that “the NEC has apparently only met twice since lockdown” and has stressed that “staff need to act to policy direction set by the elected leadership”.
He added: “Questions over who and how individuals are appointed to salaried positions remain unanswered. Scrutiny of finances and holding officials to account remains fundamental. Those are what the NEC should be doing not indulging in political chicanery for their own narrow agenda.
READ MORE: James Dornan allowed to seek Holyrood re-election after SNP all-women shortlist U-turn
“The current NEC needs held to account for the decisions it has taken and it or its successor must represent the interest of the membership not self-serving cliques. The party belongs to the members which is why all should remain and change it from within.”
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel