FORMER SNP MP Joanna Cherry has announced plans to "step back" from frontline politics and end her regular National column in the wake of the General Election.
Cherry, who held the Edinburgh South West seat from 2015 to 2024, has been a vocal critic of the SNP's internal structures in recent years.
However in her final column for the newspaper Cherry expressed frustration with receiving "pelters" for expressing her views – opinions now backed up by former colleagues who she argues should have "spoken up sooner".
READ: Joanna Cherry's final column here
Cherry also cast doubt on plans to run for a Scottish Parliament seat in 2026. The former MP argued she doesn't always want to be in opposition, but senses the SNP could lose power at Holyrood at the next election based on recent polling.
She added that the SNP must first tackle what she described as a "culture of bullying and harassment of those who dare to put forward ideas or question policy" before she could consider putting forward a bid to become an MSP.
"Whatever I decide I hope to be able to continue to contribute to the debate about Scotland’s constitutional future," Cherry wrote. "For the avoidance of doubt, I intend to remain a member of the SNP, but to step back from active involvement in the party a while."
Cherry, a KC who set up the Lawyers for Yes group ahead of the 2014 referendum, gained a high profile while serving as an SNP MP, taking a leading role in the Scottish court case challenging Boris Johnson's prorogation of parliament in 2019.
Cherry began writing her weekly column for The National in 2020.
Her opposition to the Scottish Government's self-ID gender policy, and gender critical stance, has made her a controversial figure within the party.
Cherry's public criticism of the SNP was seen as a key reason for her losing her frontbench position at Westminster in 2021, though then group leader Ian Blackford said the plan was to "draw on new talent".
In the same year a number of high profile trans activists and allies resigned from the SNP, many citing Cherry's views.
Cherry has often spoken of facing death threats and abuse over her stance. She has denied accusations of transphobia.
