JOANNA Cherry has praised the leader of the SNP at Westminster after he offered his “support” to her over her dispute with an Edinburgh comedy club.
Last week, the Stand comedy club cancelled an event Cherry was scheduled to appear at on August 10 after staff claimed they would not be comfortable working with her.
The “In conversation with…” event at the The Stand’s New Town Theatre is part of a series of discussions with high-profile Scots including Anas Sarwar.
But Cherry’s event has since been cancelled, with tickets no longer available to buy from the Edinburgh Fringe’s official website.
On Monday, Cherry’s lawyers threatened to take legal action against The Stand if bosses at the comedy club fail to acknowledge they acted unlawfully, issue an apology and reschedule the event.
While appearing on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme on Tuesday morning, Stephen Flynn, leader of the SNP at Westminster, was asked whether he “backed” Joanna Cherry’s legal threats.
He replied: “As a point of principle, I don’t agree with Joanna on this wider topic but I would defend her right to be able to ensure that her voice is heard and hopefully a compromised position can be found.”
Flynn was then asked whether he would be making that point to fellow SNP MP Tommy Sheppard, who sits on the board of directors at The Stand.
“It’s not my position to delve into an issue directly relating to a business and indeed who they want to come speak to them,” he said.
Thank you @StephenFlynnSNP for your support on #bbcgms not for my views (which is fine) but for my right to hold them & to have my voice heard. That is what leadership looks like.
— Joanna Cherry KC (@joannaccherry) May 9, 2023
“But Joanna knows that she very much my support on this issue and hopefully a compromise can be found.”
Cherry – who has often found herself at odds the bulk of her fellow SNP politicians on the issue of gender recognition reform – then took to Twitter to thank Stephen Flynn.
She said: “Thank you @StephenFlynn SNP for your support on #bbcgms not for my views (which is fine) but for my right to hold them & to have my voice heard. That is what leadership looks like.”
