AN SNP Cabinet Secretary has issued a stern warning about negative briefing to the press, urging figures within the party to “leave yer ego to the side”.
Shirley-Anne Somerville spoke out amid an internal row over SNP MP Stephen Flynn’s intention to stand for Holyrood while retaining his Westminster seat.
Flynn’s announcement earlier in the week sparked criticism from within his own party, and MSP Emma Roddick was among those who called for him to rethink.
The former minister said: “Party members set this rule for good reasons. Rightly, Douglas Ross was criticised for holding two roles simultaneously. I hope Stephen Flynn rethinks.
“Can't imagine spending half my time in London and being a good MSP. Key that rules apply to everyone equally; men and women.”
The statement has been read as an acrostic, with the first letters of each sentence spelling the word “pri*k”.
The anonymous SNP insider further launched a ferocious attack on Roddick, saying: “If she believes what she’s saying can she now tell people which of her roles was her second choice?
“Or it could be this is just rank hypocrisy from a rubbish MSP who has achieved nothing and has everything to lose from a more talented class of SNP politicians coming through to shake up Holyrood and inject a bit of imagination and life where lazy MSPs like her have so badly failed.”
After the SNP infighting spilled out into public, Somerville (below) issued a warning against such negative briefings to the media.
The Social Justice Secretary wrote: “Wee message to everyone who is briefing against folk today either on social media or to journos who are not friends to our party or our cause – stick your papers in if you want to and then get yer walking boots on and help out at a by-election.”
She added: “Voters are angry at Labour’s betrayal on the doors so take our positive message on @theSNP delivery to voters and leave yer ego to the side for the benefit of a cause much bigger than any of us.”
The post was labelled "sanctimonious" by former SNP MP Joanna Cherry.
Cherry said: "What’s so annoying about this sanctimonious tweet is that the party machine, staffers and HQ have being briefing relentlessly against those who dared to question inaction on independence, and poor policy choices and delivery for years."
On Sunday, Flynn spoke to the BBC’s Sunday Show about “anger” within the SNP sparked by his decision.
“Look, there's always going to be a strong reaction to someone seeking to do things slightly differently. I've experienced this before in politics,” he said.
“It's not something which is particularly pleasant. It's not something which is particularly comfortable, particularly when you're dealing with people who you know really well you're dealing with, in my case, a colleague who overlaps almost entirely with the constituency that I currently represent at Westminster.”
Flynn further claimed he would not resign his Westminster seat in order to save the taxpayer the cost of funding a by-election, and dismissed reports that he had pressed Audrey Nicoll to stand aside to allow him to run in Aberdeen South and North Kincardine.
