Sturgeon crisis as 30,000 quit SNP
Faithful cut up their cards over gender reform and IndyRef2
Up to 30,000 people are said to have cancelled their SNP membership in response to Nicola Sturgeon’s gender reforms and the stalling of independence.
The First Minister is under rising pressure to abandon her Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) Bill altogether in a bid to halt the meltdown.
Polls have also shown public support for the SNP and independence has plunged after it emerged double rapist Isla Bryson had spent time in a women’s prison.
Dozens of SNP supporters have taken to social media to say they have binned their membership cards.
One said: “I cancelled my membership. Rejection of reasonable amendments to GRR the f inal straw… the Scottish Government look like zealots.”
Another said: “Membership cancelled. I never signed up for regressive identity politics.”
Yet another added: “I am for independence. I don’t see the SNP getting us there and have cancelled my membership.
“I believe this issue, women’s rights and the need for single sex protections to be important in its own right.”
An SNP spokesperson denied the f igure, claiming: “It’s nowhere near 300 and we’ve had nearly 300 new members over the same period.”
Alex Salmond’s Alba Party claims many former SNP supporters are joining up.
Its general secretary, Chris McEleny, said: “A number have cited the betrayal of the rights o f w omen a nd girls following the gender self-ID policy being pushed through without adequate safeguards to protect women’s access to single sex spaces such as refuges and changing rooms.”
Support for the SNP as well as support for independence, has dropped, according to a YouGov poll out last week.
It fell to 44 per cent from 50 per cent in December in the Holyrood constituency vote and from 40 per cent to 36 per centt iin ththe regionalil list.lit SNP suppor t at Westminster dropped from 43 per cent to 42 per cent while backing for independence dropped from 53 per cent to 47 per cent.
Sturgeon said she plans to run the next UK election as a “de facto referendum” in the hope of achieving a majority of votes north of the Border and securing negotiations on independence.
The SNP does not publish membership numbers but a party source said: “This is a real and deepening crisis for the SNP and Sturgeon personally.
“Her gender reforms are hugely unpopular because the perception is that they can easily be abused by sexual predators.
“She now looks out of touch at best and incoherent at worst when trying to defend the policy.
“We are seeing thousands of members leaving – some estimates are saying as many as 30,000 – because they are completely disillusioned.”