SNP’s reputation is now on the line

SNP leadership contests don’t happen often – in fact the party has been led by just three people since 1990.

The Tories have gone through nine leaders in that time.

When Nicola Sturgeon succeeded Alex Salmond in 2014, there were no other contenders.

This is the first time since 2004 that the party has had an open leadership contest.

Back then, there was no social media or TV debates involving the candidates.

So this was always going to be a leadership race with a difference.

But no one could have predicted what a mess the whole event would become.

The party has lurched from one avoidable gaffe to another.

First, it tried to ban the media from its leadership hustings.

Only after a backlash did it grudgingly accept there was a public interest in at least streaming them online for all to see.

But that turned out to be a mild misunderstanding compared with the ongoing row over membership figures.

Ash Regan and Kate Forbes both reasonably expected to be told how many people would have a vote in the election contest. Humza Yousaf agreed with them. Yet, for some reason, the party HQ dragged its heels.

When it finally caved in last week, the figures showed the SNP had lost a third of its membership in two years. But it’s still comfortably the largest party in Scotland, so what was the big deal?

The reluctance to own up suggested all was not well behind the scenes.

Especially after the party tried to discredit a journalist who had accurately reported the drop in membership numbers last month.

Retribution was swift and the SNP lost both its comms chief at Holyrood and its long-serving chief executive in less than 24 hours.

Veteran Nat Mike Russell, drafted in as interim chief executive, claims even he didn’t know about the drop-off.

Something is very amiss about the way the party has handled the chain of events since Nicola Sturgeon shocked the political world with her resignation last month.

The SNP was once feared by other parties. Now it is fast becoming a laughing stock.

The public can reasonably question that if a party can’t get its own affairs in order, can it be trusted to run the country?

The SNP had a hard-won reputation for competence and party discipline.

That has been shredded in the last four weeks.

The next first minister must now work to rebuild confidence not just among party members but also with the wider public.

They can start by ensuring a competent team at SNP HQ.