Cherry calls out first minister in string of tweets over ‘abuse’

A row at the heart of the SNP risked collapsing into a chasm just hours before the final day of the party’s conference, as Joanna Cherry publicly pleaded with Nicola Sturgeon to call out a “campaign of abuse, smears and violent intimidation” against her.

Ms Cherry, one of the party’s most senior figures at Westminster, said she had repeatedly made attempts to raise concerns internally “to no avail” and claimed figures close to fellow SNP MP Alyn Smith were involved.

The Edinburgh South West MP launched an extraordinary series of social media posts yesterday morning in which she called on Nicola Sturgeon directly “to do something or at the very least acknowledge the problem I face”.

Ms Cherry, who has been a central figure in a longrunning, fiery debate in the party over trans rights, said she has frequently been sent a “violent image” of a cartoon figure pointing a gun with the message to shut up.

She said: “Unfortunately this problem started close to home and continues led by a number of actors, some of whom are SNP members and close to Mr Smith.

“A t the weekend, a number of SNP parliamentarians, councillors and employees joined with other parties to sign a letter defaming me.

“It has since been altered but only under threat of legal action.

“Last year, as part of this campaign of intimidation, I received what Police Scotland and the Me t considered a credible death threat and required police protection. As you can imagine this takes quite a toll on me, my girlfriend, my family and my staff. When is someone in the leadership of my party going to call out the campaign of abuse, smears and violent intimidation against me? I am pleading with our leader Nicola Sturgeon to do something or at the very least acknowledge the problem I face.”

Much of the negative feedback received by Ms Cherry appears to stem from her opposition to the Scottish Government ’s proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act, which would allow people to self-declare their gender identity.

Asked for her response to Ms Cherry’ s comments during an appearance on BBC Good Morning Scotland yesterday, Ms Sturgeon said: “I don’ t know what she’s talking about.

“I’ve not seen the tweets. I condemn abuse anybody gets, whoever they are and on whatever issue.

“I think one of the real problems with the tone and tenor of our political debate right now is that it is too often polarised, where we chuck grenades at each other rather than try to listen and understand each other’s position.”

But Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said Ms Cherry’s comments “reveal the extent of the division in the SNP”.

Mr Smith was approached for comment.

I am pleading with our leader

Edinburgh South West MSP Joanna Cherry.