SNP councillor Chris Cullen defects to Alba in Ash Regan's wake

Ash Regan defected to the Alba party over the weekend which an MP said would 'precipitate further shifts'

An SNP councillor has left the party to join Alba after an MP hinted there would be further defections.

South Ayrshire councillor Chris Cullen, who was elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2022, said the SNP had "failed to deliver on independence".

Earlier, Alba MP Neale Hanvey said the decision by former SNP Ash Regan to move was "not just a single event".

Humza Yousaf has told SNP members who don't want to advance independence "I don't need you in the party".

The first minister said he was not "particularly surprised" by Ash Regan's decision to quit and become Alba's first MSP and Holyrood leader.

The SNP have now experienced the loss of three well-known parliamentarians in Angus Brendan MacNeil, Tory defector Dr Lisa Cameron and Ms Regan.

Alba MP Neale Hanvey said Ms Regan's move would "precipitate further shifts, not just with elected members".

When asked if he was having discussions with other elected members, Mr Hanvey said there would be news within hours or days.

Neale Hanvey was previously a member of the SNP, before moving to the Alba party in 2021

He did not specify whether any discussions were with serving MPs, MSPs or councillors.

Confirming his defection, Mr Cullen said: "I listened to Alex Salmond at the Alba Party conference extend the hand of friendship to those who only now are facing the dawning realisation that they have been strung along by the SNP who have failed to deliver on independence."

Ms Regan added Alba had achieved an "important milestone" with representation at every level of government.

In response to Ms Regan's exit, Humza Yousaf said it was "no great loss".

The first minister said: "I think if you're not wanting to advance the case of independence - and the SNP is the largest vehicle to advance the cause of independence - if you're not committed to that, then frankly, I don't need you in the party, it's as simple as that.

"I made that very, very clear when I first became first minister.

He said that he wasn't particularly surprised about Ms Regan's exit, but added "I am disappointed though".

"Ash Regan, of course, was elected on an SNP ticket - the reason she was elected is because of the SNP logo next to her name on the ballot paper.

"For her to defect but not resign, I think is not an honourable position. She should do the honourable thing, the principled thing, and resign."

'True to principles'

Ms Regan announced her resignation from the SNP party on Saturday, saying her decision came after increasing disillusionment with the SNP's leadership and its "wavering commitment" to Scottish independence.

Ms Regan, 49, was elected as SNP MSP for Edinburgh Eastern at the last election.

She is now the Alba party's first representative at Holyrood.

• Former SNP leadership candidate defects to Alba

• How challenging are defections for Humza Yousaf?

Speaking to BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, Alba MP Neale Hanvey said the first minister's comments were "clumsy and careless".

"It really shows the dismissive character of the leadership of the SNP," he said.

"For me, what Ash Regan displayed over the weekend was that courage, determination and integrity is still very much alive in Scottish politics and I think she should be applauded for the courage that she's shown.

In the SNP leadership contest in March, Ash Regan came third, after Kate Forbes and her successor Humza Yousaf.

"There's a whole range of other policies that the SNP are pursuing that were not explicitly set out in that manifesto and Ash has stayed true to her principles and to the commitments that she gave that were set out in that manifesto.

"So it's not Ash who has walked away from her commitments, that's for others to consider."

He added that it was difficult to argue a case within a party when "democracy has affectively been shut down".

He said: "There is no toleration of any deviation from the party line, there is no discussion, there is no debate and some of the behaviour towards those of us who have disagreed has been at best childish."

Ash Regan has been criticised in the past as an SNP minister, on her stance with the Gender Recognition (Reform) Bill.

In October 2022, she resigned as an SNP minster over Scottish government plans to make it easier for someone to change their legally-recognised gender.

At the time, she said her conscience would not allow her to support the plans.

Will there be a by-election?

Her move to the independence-supporting party, set up by Alex Salmond, gives the party its first official voice and vote at Holyrood.

When an MSP defects to a different party, there does not need to be a by-election because the politician has not vacated the seat - they have just changed parties.

This means Ms Regan can continue to represent the people of Edinburgh Eastern as an Alba MSP, rather than an SNP MSP.

The first minister said she should now do the "honourable thing" and step down as an MSP to allow a by-election.

Earlier this month MP Lisa Cameron defected from the SNP to the Conservatives because of what she described as a "toxic" culture in the SNP's Westminster group.

And Angus MacNeil, former SNP MP for the Western Isles, also left the SNP party and now sits as an independent.

In August, he was expelled by the SNP after reportedly clashing with party chief whip Brendan O'Hara.

He is also going to be working with Alba at Westminster, as part of a Scotland united for independence group.

Neale Hanvey added: "What it really demonstrates is that we're prepared to work with anyone from all parties and none to put the energy in the move towards independence for Scotland."