Fergus Ewing loses appeal against SNP suspension
- Published
Veteran MSP Fergus Ewing has renewed his criticism of the SNP after losing an appeal against a week-long suspension from the party's group at Holyrood.
Disciplinary action was taken in September against the former minister.
Mr Ewing, who has repeatedly criticised party leadership, branded the SNP an "authoritarian party".
An SNP spokesman said: "Discipline is an internal matter for the SNP Holyrood group."
The suspension took effect from midnight.
Earlier last year, Mr Ewing voted against the government in a no-confidence motion on Greens minister Lorna Slater.
In September, the SNP's Holyrood group voted to take action against the Inverness and Nairn MSP by 48 votes to nine with four abstentions.
Among the MSPs who supported him were former leadership contender Kate Forbes, his sister Annabelle Ewing, and Christine Grahame.
First Minister Humza Yousaf was absent for the vote, as was his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon, who had a prior engagement.
On Good Morning Scotland the MSP continued his criticism of the SNP's deal with the Greens, saying they were an "extremist" group who had brought "dismal mismanagement" and "duff policies" to government.
The MSP also said that it was time for First Minister Humza Yousaf to move forward plans to improve the A9 and the A96.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mr Ewing highlighted his opposition to the deposit return scheme and said the SNP "no longer tolerates a conscience vote".
He said the party implemented new rules in 2021 preventing SNP MSPs from exercising a such a vote, unless there was prior approval from the whole group, and called for the clause to be removed.
Mr Ewing added: "The SNP has now become an authoritarian party requiring strict obedience to the leadership at the expense of personal freedom for any individual member."
The former minister said he believed the public did not want MSPs "who must always blindly follow the party line".
His statement continued: "If my constituents wanted a doormat, they would have gone to B&Q."
Mr Ewing has been critical of Scottish Greens minister Lorna Slater
On Good Morning Scotland he added that he believed that the partnership had damaged public trust in the SNP and that the party should be a broader church.
The disciplinary action came after Mr Ewing's vote against Ms Slater in a no-confidence vote.
The motion was tabled by the Tories last June over the circular economy minister's handling of the deposit return scheme.
Mr Ewing told Good Morning Scotland that he had rebelled against the party as he was "standing up" for his constituents against the policy, which he labelled "truly disastrous."
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.
He stated: "I will continue to speak out for things like the A96 ... I will do my job and my question to Humza Yousaf is when will you do yours?
"You came to Inverness and you promised this will be a top priority when you became leader. Nothing has happened over the past three years."
Craig Hoy, the chairman of the Scottish Tories, said: "This decision shows how Humza Yousaf and the SNP have turned their back on rural Scotland and the major issues that are affecting those areas. Even Fergus Ewing recognises that the SNP are failing them."
The former minister has been an MSP since the Scottish Parliament was created in 1999.
He is the son of SNP icon Winnie Ewing, who died last June aged 93.