MP Angus MacNeil has had his membership of the SNP suspended after he refused to rejoin the party’s Westminster group.
Mr MacNeil, who has often voiced criticism of the SNP leadership, was kicked out of the Westminster group for a week after reportedly clashing with chief whip Brendan O’Hara.
The MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles) later said he would not seek to rejoin the group until at least October, accusing the party of a lack of urgency on its goal of Scottish independence.
He said the Scottish Government was “utterly clueless about how to pursue independence” since losing the Indyref2 case at the Supreme Court.
Mr MacNeil has now been administratively suspended while the party’s member conduct committee considers his decline of the offer to re-join.
An SNP spokesman said: “Angus MacNeil MP was advised by the SNP National Secretary on Wednesday that she considered him to be in breach of the party’s code of conduct by his decision to resign from the SNP Westminster parliamentary group.
“Having acknowledged this, Mr MacNeil did not take up the offer to rejoin the SNP parliamentary group and the matter was, therefore, yesterday referred to the SNP member conduct committee for consideration.”
Mr MacNeil has represented the constituency since 2005.
I will only seek the SNP whip again if it is clear that the SNP are pursuing independence. At the moment, the SNP has become a brand name missing the key ingredient. The urgency for independence is absent— Angus MacNeil, MP
On Wednesday, he posted a letter on social media explaining his decision not to rejoin the MP group until at least October.
He said: “I will only seek the SNP whip again if it is clear that the SNP are pursuing independence.
“At the moment, the SNP has become a brand name missing the key ingredient. The urgency for independence is absent.”
He added: “The Scottish Government went to the Supreme Court a year ago utterly clueless about how to pursue independence (and) left the Supreme Court utterly clueless about how to pursue independence.”
Following the SNP’s independence convention last month, Humza Yousaf said winning a majority of Scottish seats in the general election is his preferred route to independence.
The First Minister said a majority of seats would be considered a mandate to demand a referendum on independence.
Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said Mr MacNeil’s suspension was more evidence of SNP infighting.
He said: “After Angus MacNeil’s scathing criticism of the party’s leadership, they’ve now suspended one of their longest-serving MPs.
“Perhaps Mhairi Black and other SNP MPs need to look closer to home when railing against the toxicity in politics.
“The increasingly bitter infighting is clearly playing a significant role in why SNP MPs are deserting their seats, which sums up their lack of faith in Humza Yousaf’s leadership capacity to fix these internal feuds.”
