Toni Giugliano: Bitter rift in Falkirk SNP group as Westminster candidate cleared following complaints

A deep rift in the SNP’s Falkirk constituency group appears to have occurred over the selection of its next Westminster candidate.

Party activist Tony Giugliano was announced as the new candidate for one of the SNP’s safest seats at the end of October following a ballot of members.

However, shortly after complaints were made to SNP HQ that he had placed pressure on local members to support him, breached spending limits and fabricated an endorsement.

Mr Giugliano rejected all the allegations.

Mental health campaigner and SNP policy convener Toni Giugliano has been selected as the SNP candidate to fight for the Falkirk Westminster seat. Pic: Contributed

Now following an investigation, understood to have been carried out by the national secretary Lorna Finn, the complaint has been thrown out.

Four other candidates had stood for selection, including Falkirk councillors Paul Garner and Gary Bouse, along with SNP staffer Michael Sturrock and Qasim Hanif, a member of the SNP’s national executive and convener of the Scots Asians for Independence.

Mr Giugliano is believed to have won the race by 19 votes.

It followed veteran politician John McNally saying he would be standing down as Falkirk MP at the next general election, expected some time next year.

But the result of the investigation has not gone down well with some party members locally.

One said: “I am bewildered at this.

"It seems they, SNP HQ, are protecting their candidate.

"For one person, Lorna Finn the national secretary, who coincidentally was recently publicly endorsed by Tony Giugliano, to have full and sole command over this case is worrying.

“Giugliano looks like continuing his unenviable record and will lose one of the SNP’s safest seats.

"If he thinks the local party will come together in the New Year to support him he is deluded.”

After the news his selection stood, Mr Giugliano said: “I welcome the national secretary’s ruling. Falkirk members selected me to be their general election candidate and I look forward to making the case for independence in the weeks and months ahead so that we can build a better country and escape Tory governments for good.”

An SNP spokesperson said: “No grounds were provided that would cause the National Secretary to recall the decision of members in Falkirk.”