SNP Westminster culture spokesman quits for "personal reasons"

Brendan O'Hara MP, MP for Argyll and Bute.

The SNP’s culture spokesman at Westminster has stood down from his frontbench post for “personal reasons”, the party has confirmed.

Brendan O’Hara, the MP for Argyll and Bute, was elected in 2015 and served as defense spokesman until his re-election in 2017.

Since his appointment to the culture brief, Mr O’Hara - a former TV news and current affairs producer - has been the SNP’s representative on the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

SNP Westminster leader in dark about meeting with controversial data firm

He hit the headlines last month after questioning a witness about the controversy surrounding the political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, accused of using improperly obtained data on millions of Facebook users.

A former director of the firm, Brittany Kaiser, told Mr O’Hara the company had met with the SNP, information which hadn’t been shared with the party’s group of MPs.

It sparked a row over the SNP’s contacts with the company, and accusations that the nationalists had failed to meet the same transparency standards that it demanded from the UK Government.

An SNP source said the decision was for “personal reasons” and not connected to the situation involving Cambridge Analytica.

It is understood Mr O’Hara informed SNP colleagues at the party’s Westminster group meeting earlier this week.

Mr O’Hara will be replaced as culture spokesman by Livingston MP Hannah Bardell.