Humza Yousaf in unity plea after SNP rocked by defection ahead of conference

MP Lisa Cameron defected to the Tories hours before she was set to be deselected

Humza Yousaf has made a plea for party unity ahead of the SNP’s conference at the weekend as the party reels from the defection of MP Lisa Cameron to the Tories.

The dramatic move yesterday was the latest of several significant challenges faced by Mr Yousaf during his six months in the top job, with high-profile MSPs openly calling for an end to the Bute House Agreement which sees the Scottish Greens in government.

Veteran MSP Fergus Ewing recently had the SNP whip suspended after he voted against Greens minister Lorna Slater in a vote of no confidence.

Humza Yousaf, at Bute House in Edinburgh. Photo: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Mr Yousaf’s former leadership rivals Kate Forbes and Ash Regan have also made their opposition to the power-sharing agreement known, particularly around climate policies, delays to dualling the A9 and highly protected marine areas (HPMAs).

Speaking at Bute House, Mr Yousaf urged the SNP to “come together” or risk making the independence cause “weaker”.

In an appeal to SNP members, he said the party’s stance should be respected regardless of whether they voted for him, Ms Forbes or Ms Regan in the leadership contest.

The Scottish First Minister said: “The old maxim is true: divided parties simply don’t win elections, so we have to heal the divisions that exist.

“I don’t care if you voted for Kate or Ash, whether they agree or disagree with the Bute House Agreement, let’s come together and respect the party.

“That’s the party that elected me as leader, it’s the party that, of course, overwhelmingly backed the Bute House Agreement with the Greens as well.

“So, unity is going to be important.”

Mr Yousaf also said “ditching” the Bute House Agreement was not a “logical conclusion” to the divisions emerging within the party hierarchy, given it was backed by a majority of the party.

He said: “The resolution is to remind people that if we are not united as a party, then that cause of advancing independence is weaker.

“Every single one of my colleagues will tell you that I’ve made it very clear to them that you can walk through my door at any point and have a discussion about policy where there’s disagreement.”

Mr Yousaf will address SNP members in Aberdeen on Tuesday as he brings the party’s conference, which is due to start on Sunday, to a close.

Addressing the defection of Dr Cameron yesterday, Mr Yousaf was scathing saying she should resign her seat and “probably never believed” in Scottish independence to begin with. Her defection cane on the day she was facing a selection battle in her constituency of East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow.

Mr Yousaf said: “It’s the least-surprising news I’ve had as leader of the SNP, I must confess.

“Lisa Cameron should do the honourable thing, she should resign her seat.

“She should do the honourable thing by her constituents, who voted for an SNP MP, (but) did not vote for a Conservative MP.”

He said he was confident the SNP could win any by-election and her decision was a “betrayal” of activists who had campaigned for her election.

Mr Yousaf added: “To see somebody who claims to have supported Scottish independence cross the floor to the Conservative and Unionist Party betrays the fact that she probably never believed in the cause in the first place.”

He noted that Dr Cameron had written to the UK Government urging it to block Holyrood’s gender recognition reforms.

Dr Cameron’s opponent in the selection race, Grant Costello, had received the backing of an SNP minister and she was not expected to win.

On Thursday afternoon, he was duly chosen as the SNP’s candidate as the results for nine selection contests around Scotland were announced.

Sitting MPs Alyn Smith, David Linden and Brendan O’Hara were reselected, while Alison Thewliss will be the SNP candidate in a different constituency due to boundary changes.

Dr Cameron claimed she was shunned by other SNP MPs at Westminster after challenging the support given to former chief whip Patrick Grady – who was suspended from the House of Commons and apologised in Parliament after being found to have acted inappropriately towards a party staffer.

Her change of party comes days before the SNP conference in Aberdeen and follows the party’s significant by-election loss in Rutherglen and Hamilton West last week.