Cherry: I was briefed against
A SENIOR Nationalist MP claims she suffered from ‘nasty and unpleasant briefing’ from within her own party during the General Election campaign.
Joanna Cherry said a ‘vocal and small minority’ briefed against her as she fought to retain her Edinburgh South West seat.
After suffering ‘misogynist abuse’ and having her car damaged, she called for the ‘backbiting’ to stop, giving an insight into tensions within the party despite it winning 48 seats in the election.
Speaking to the Sunday National, Miss Cherry said: ‘During the General Election campaign some nasty and unpleasant briefing was going on against me from a vocal and small minority within the SNP.
‘This is now a crucial time for the nation and the party and is not the time for petty bickering.
‘We don’t have time for that sort of nonsense and it is now time to call it out.
‘I am doing so now as there has been some misogynist abuse of me during the campaign and I had my car scratched, which is being looked into by the police.
‘The backbiting and briefing has been from a small minority of SNP members and it is very important for that to be stopped.
‘We must unite to defend democracy in Scotland and the cause of independence.
‘The abuse made the activists angry when they were working so hard and out in all weathers making sure I got a big majority, not just for me but for the cause of independence. We were really annoyed they were trying to undermine our efforts. We don’t need any more of this nonsense.’
Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil piled more pressure on the First Minister to come up with an independence ‘Plan B’ when Boris Johnson rejects her demand for a referendum.
He told the Sunday Mail that one option would be all Nationalist MPs resigning in order to force 48 by-elections, which could provide a ‘direct electoral mandate for independence’.
Former Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, newly elected MP for East Lothian, said he supported a Section 30 order request but added that a referendum is going to be ‘a wee while down the road’.