A special meeting to discuss whether Fergus Ewing should be suspended from the SNP group at Holyrood is expected to take place this evening.

The party's MSPs were due to meet last week to see what, if any, sanction Mr Ewing should face.

However, a decision was made to put off the meeting as Mr Ewing had contracted Covid and could not attend in person.

It is now understood Mr Ewing is better and able to go to  attend the meeting which will take place in Holyrood at 7pm. It is due to last around 30 minutes.

The former minister turned rebel is facing a short suspension from the group for supporting a Conservative motion of no confidence in the circular economy minister and Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater in June over her handling of the deposit return scheme. 

SNP MSPs need to vote by a two thirds majority for any member to have the whip withdrawn.

There are different views in the group on whether Mr Ewing should be suspended.

Former leadership contender Kate Forbes has previously said the Inverness and Nairn MSP is "much loved" and communities will draw conclusions about the party if he is treated harshly as she appeared to warn her colleagues about the repercussions of suspending Mr Ewing.

Ms Forbes' campaign manager Michelle Thomson, the SNP MSP for Falkirk East, also intervened saying it would be "unwise and unnecessary" to suspend Mr Ewing from the party.

Earlier this month SNP MSPs were told there would be a three-line whip to attend the special meaning that attendance is compulsory though it would be up to members to decide how they want to vote should there be a proposal to suspend Mr Ewing.

The First Minister has described the no confidence motion disciplinary issue against Mr Ewing as "very serious".

Speaking to the Record, Humza Yousaf said: “It was a very serious matter indeed. And there was, I think, understandable reasons why the group chose not to deal with internal party discipline matters at the end of the parliamentary term, but clearly the group may want to pick those matters up when they return."

Mr Ewing is one of Scotland's highest profile backbenchers was awarded an "MSP of the year" title at a political magazine's ceremony earlier this month.

Since debate has intensified over whether he will be suspended, he has continued to be critical of the Scottish Government policy voting with the Tories against a new licensing regime for short-term lets.

Reports have suggested that SNP whips will push for Mr Ewing to be suspended for one week.