Humiliating U-turn on women-only shortlist

THE SNP has been forced into a humiliating U-turn over a women-only shortlist.

James Dornan faced having to stand down as an MSP after the party ruled only women could contest his Glasgow Cathcart seat.

The 67-year-old had vowed to ‘challenge’ the SNP’s ruling national executive committee (NEC) – and a senior official has now ruled the decision is ‘unconstitutional’, saying Mr Dornan should be free to try to retain the seat, which he first won in 2011.

In a conference vote last year, the SNP ruled that vacated seats should be contested by all-female shortlists. Yesterday’s decision is a blow to their efforts to get more women MSPs into Holyrood.

Mr Dornan had announced plans to stand down in March but changed his mind last month, saying Covid’s impact had motivated him to continue helping his community.

However, when the NEC met on Thursday, it decided his change of heart had come too late, and the all-women shortlist should remain. According to The Times, he then fired off a furious email, accusing some

SNP activists of ‘underhand practices’ and ‘misleading our members’ in support of a rival candidate. He claimed a ‘small clique’ in his local party were trying to ‘railroad’ their preferred candidate.

Mr Dornan also tweeted: ‘If anyone wishes to challenge me, then they should have the courage to take me on, not try to manipulate others into doing their job for them. I intend to stand and will fight to do so.’

Less than 48 hours later, SNP national secretary Dr Angus MacLeod ruled the NEC’s decision was ‘unconstitutional’.

He wrote in an email to members: ‘The conditions where an all-women shortlist can be considered by the NEC... are now no longer met, in that Glasgow Cathcart is not a constituency where the incumbent SNP MSP is standing down.’

On Friday, Joanna Cherry MP hit out at party chiefs over ‘unprecedented’ rule changes forcing her to back out of standing for Ruth Davidson’s Edinburgh Central seat in next May’s Holyrood election.