Fergus Ewing to appeal against SNP suspension

Veteran MSP Fergus Ewing is to appeal against his week-long suspension from the SNP group at Holyrood.

Disciplinary action was taken last week against the former minister who has repeatedly criticised the party leadership.

Earlier this year he voted against the government in a no-confidence motion on Greens minister Lorna Slater.

In a defiant newspaper interview on Sunday, he said he would not be "hounded out" of the party he loved.

Last week the SNP's Holyrood Group voted to take action against the Inverness and Nairn MSP by 48 votes to nine with four abstentions.

• Fergus Ewing suspended from SNP group

Among those who supported him was former leadership contender Kate Forbes, his sister and fellow MSP Annabelle Ewing and MSP Christine Grahame.

First Minister Humza Yousaf was absent for the vote, as was his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon who had a prior engagement.

But Mr Yousaf, who had returned home due to illness, later said it was a "proportionate" sanction against the rebel backbencher.

Mr Ewing was represented at Wednesday's hearing by lawyer John Campbell KC.

Under SNP rules, he has two weeks to appeal the decision, and he has confirmed to BBC Scotland that he intends to do so.

In an interview with the Sunday Mail, the 66-year-old said he wanted to remain in the party and fight "extreme policies" which he claimed were alienating voters.

"We are going through a period at the moment where we have chosen the wrong path. We've associated ourselves with extremists," he said.

But he insisted he had no intention of joining another party, and urged Humza Yousaf to change direction.

"I do want to send out a positive message in the hope that Humza will take it up because he's capable of listening," he said

Mr Ewing has been critical of Scottish Greens minister Lorna Slater

The disciplinary action came after Mr Ewing voted against Green minister Lorna Slater in a no-confidence vote.

The motion was tabled by the Tories in June over the circular economy minister's handling of the deposit return scheme.

Mr Ewing, who served as rural economy secretary under Nicola Sturgeon, has also criticised Scottish government policies on gender recognition reform and Highly Protected Marine Areas, as well as attacking ministers over a lack of progress on dualling the A9.

Last month, he rebelled against the government in a vote over calls for a 12-month delay to a short-term lets licensing scheme.

Mr Ewing has also called for a fresh SNP vote on the 2021 power-sharing Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens.

In his latest interview, he said he would continue to speak "with my conscience" on plans to encourage greater use of heat pumps, branding them unaffordable, undeliverable and "madcap".

Mr Ewing has been an MSP since the Scottish Parliament was created in 1999.

He is the son of SNP icon Winnie Ewing, who died in June aged 93.