Abusive, intolerant and bullying – SNP MP’s damning take on her own party
A NATIONALIST MP yesterday condemned ‘abusive, intolerant and bullying behaviour’ within the party – and claimed she is being hounded out by colleagues.
Dr Lisa Cameron said she has been the victim of ‘vitriolic attacks’ after voting against liberalising abortion laws in Northern Ireland.
As well as receiving more than 900 abusive messages online – including images of rape and a threat to ‘abort’ her – she said she has been targeted by senior SNP activists, who are calling for her to be drummed out of the party.
In a blast at the party leadership, the MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow also revealed she had appealed for help from Nicola Sturgeon but had heard nothing.
She now fears being forced out of her seat by ‘abusive party activists’ who have warned they will not support her future selection.
MPs voted last week in favour of liberalising abortion and allowing same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. The SNP does not usually vote on matters that do not affect Scotland but allowed MPs to vote on conscience.
Dr Cameron, along with fellow Nationalist Peter Grant, voted against the amendments.
Her vote was influenced by her Christian faith as a member of the Church of Scotland, and the experience of two miscarriages, after four months of pregnancy, which shaped her views on abortion. She said: ‘I lost both those babies – they were much-loved babies to me.’
Last night, the consultant clinical psychologist spoke about the toll the abuse was taking.
She said: ‘My staff have had over 900 messages to patrol – abuse, cyber-bullying, calling me vile names and sending pictures of rape, suggesting I don’t support rape survivors when in fact I helped many trauma survivors in my NHS work.’ Dr Cameron added: ‘One individual threatened to come over and “abort” me. I tagged this to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to let her see what was being written. But I am sad to say that I have as yet received no response.
‘I hope I will receive support from the party hierarchy soon. I’m getting all this abuse but no one in the party will call out the abusers... it looks like I will be ousted.’
She said the party ‘from the very top needs to take action... to stamp out this abusive, intolerant and bullying behaviour to which I have been mercilessly exposed’.
The vilest abuse has been sent by trolls in online messages, but Dr Cameron said SNP activists had also turned on her. Bill Mills, former SNP convener in South Lanarkshire, wrote that he was ‘utterly disgusted’ and warned Dr Cameron that she could not ‘expect anything other than the withdrawal of support by those who supported and voted for her’.
He added: ‘She should quit her position as an elected representative of the SNP.’
Jim Edwards, convener of the SNP’s South Lanarkshire liaison committee, who oversees candidate selection, agreed, saying: ‘The people who voted for her also voted for SNP policy, therefore I’m 100 per cent behind Bill [Mills] and withdraw all support for her.’ Last night, pro-life campaigners said the SNP must not allow MPs to be ousted over anti-abortion beliefs.
John Deighan, chief executive of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, said: ‘The persecution of an elected politician for voting in a way they don’t like exposes the depth of their intolerance. It’s a disgraceful and unacceptable position that has been deliberately cultivated.’
The SNP said: ‘No one is failed at assessment because of their religious views. Ordinary party members may disagree with the actions of an SNP parliamentarian but they should do so respectfully.’
‘One troll threatened to “abort” me’