The ‘Tuesday Club’ cabal, Ian Blackford ...and a schism that could tear SNP apart
First Minister ‘is losing her grip on party’
NICOLA sturgeon is ‘losing her grip’ on the SNP amid a rebellion at Westminster that is tearing the party apart, it was claimed last night.
Outgoing Westminster leader ian Blackford yesterday hinted that a schism has opened up, involving a group of nationalist MPs known as the ‘tuesday Club’.
He said members of the club believe he failed to challenge Miss sturgeon enough and instead meekly followed orders. Prominent among its members is stephen Flynn, who has emerged as the frontrunner to be Mr Blackford’s replacement.
Mr Blackford announced he was stepping down amid the fallout from the scottish Government’s defeat at the supreme Court, which ruled that a re-run of the 2014 independence vote could only happen with Westminster’s approval.
But he denied being pushed out and said there was only some unhappiness among those who wanted him to be ‘a bit more independent’ from the First Minister.
He also dismissed claims that his handling of a harassment complaint by a party worker about Patrick Grady, who was the snP’s chief whip at Westminster, was a factor in his departure.
the so-called tuesday Club, whose members include David Linden, Gavin newlands, Alan Brown, stuart MacDonald and Mr Flynn, had been unhappy since a vote on benefits in February, Mr Blackford said. He explained: ‘i think it’s fair to say what’s often referred to as the tuesday Club, with one member in particular, there was a disagreement a number of months ago about a vote.’
the snP leadership in edinburgh had whipped MPs to abstain on a vote to raise benefits by £10.07 a month and the state pension by £5.55 a week but Mr Linden and Glasgow south West MP Chris stephens defied the party’s orders and voted against the Government.
Members of the ‘club’ are said to play five-a-side football and go for a drink together every tuesday.
Mr Blackford’s apparent reluctance to challenge the First Minister despite growing unease about the route to independence is said to have led to manoeuvrings to oust him. A coup led by snP energy spokesman Mr Flynn was reportedly averted last month after intervention from Miss sturgeon’s allies.
speaking on the BBC’s sunday show, Mr Blackford said: ‘i’ve always argued that the role of the snP Westminster group is to support the Government, to support the First Minister, to make sure that we’re amplifying the argument for scotland to be an independent country.’
Asked if he was pushed out as Westminster leader, Mr Blackford said: ‘no, i took the decision.
‘i need to make sure my talents are used in the right way to support the Government and support the First Minister.’ On reports of unhappiness among colleagues, he told the sunday Mail: ‘i think there are some people in the group that would have preferred me to be a bit more independent.’
Asked if colleagues thought he was meekly taking orders from Holyrood, he said: ‘i suppose so.’
scottish Conservative party chairman Craig Hoy said the snP Westminster group ‘has been tearing itself apart’ over Mr Blackford’s ‘slavish loyalty to nicola sturgeon’s authoritarian position and his own disgraceful conduct during the Patrick Grady affair’.
Mr Hoy added that, having lost at the supreme Court, Miss sturgeon ‘is rapidly losing her grip on the party’.
in June, the Daily Mail revealed that a secret recording of an snP group meeting showed Mr Blackford urging colleagues to give Mr Grady their ‘full support’ following his apology for his conduct after the harassment complaint was upheld by the independent Complaints and Grievance scheme.
Mr Blackford said: ‘i know some have raised the disciplinary issues ... i actually don’t believe that’s a factor [in stepping down].’