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Would-be SNP leader Humza Yousaf told the party's most outspoken internal critic that people don't vote for divided parties because she urged her to be "respectful." Joanna Cherry has repeatedly criticized the party hierarchy, including for its strong opposition to gender reforms, but most recently she criticized the work of chief executive Peter Murrell, who is married to Nicola Sturgeon. This week the South West Edinburgh MP, who announced her support for Ash Regan in the race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon, said the 'party machine' was working to elect the Health Secretary.
Speaking to the PA news agency, Yousaf said he supported her retention as an SNP MP, adding: "I would say to Joanna Cherry that it's really important, of course, that we talk about principles, but we do it in a very respectful
He added: “And what I would say is that people don't vote for divided parties or divided movements.
"(She's) absolutely right to raise her concerns, but I absolutely believe she needs to raise them respectfully and that's the kind of leadership I want to see."
When pressed on Ms Cherry's comments about the SNP hierarchy's support for her candidacy, Mr Yousaf hinted that there might be a political motive behind them.
“It's also a race for leadership,” he says.
“You just took those things on the chin on the fly.
"I really don't like conspiracy theories, I've never done one."
The issue of discipline within the SNP has come to the fore more in recent months than since the party took power in 2007, beginning with the rebellion of nine MSPs against party-type reform proposals.
The bill, which would be blocked by the UK government, passed 86 to 39 in December, with the SNP group lobbying its MSPs to vote in favour.
It is unclear what, if any, disciplinary action was taken against the nine rebels, but Yousaf said he supported the decision to flog the MSPs in favor of the bill, adding that he was not in favor of abolishing it. of the whip for those. who voted against. .
I believe that collegiate leadership is what is needed to heal these divisions, and there are divisions in the party, there is no point in pretending otherwise.
“I think collegiate leadership is what is needed to heal these divisions, and there are divisions in the party, there is no point in pretending otherwise,” he said.
"My point of view has always been that you create the biggest tent possible."
Even if MSPs vote against the whip, Yousaf said, the party has a duty to make sure they don't feel "thrown out like pariahs to live their entire political lives in the back seats."
But she said it was "important" for the SNP to push members to vote for gender reforms.
"For me it was an issue where we made the process a little bit easier for a very marginalized group of people, so I think it's only fair that we crash the party," he said.
The SNP's MSPs, he said, were chosen in a manifesto in 2021 that pledged to reform gender recognition legislation, but the controversial principle of self-identification, where a person can change their sex without a medical diagnosis, was not included in the platform. party election.
PA wire
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