There is a 'small' group of disgruntled SNP MSPs, Humza Yousaf acknowledges, as First Minister quizzed on Fergus Ewing

The First Minister said the group included Fergus Ewing, the former minister and outspoken backbencher

There is a small group of disgruntled SNP parliamentarians who disagree with the party’s co-operation agreement with the Greens, Humza Yousaf has acknowledged.

The First Minister said the group included Fergus Ewing, the former minister who is now an outspoken backbencher in Holyrood.

Mr Ewing has strongly criticised Scottish Government policies associated with the Greens, including aborted plans to ban fishing in at least 10 per cent of Scottish seas. He recently warned he would withdraw support for the Government unless significant progress was made on dualling the A9.

Fergus Ewing, one of the disgruntled SNP MSPs

Speaking on the Holyrood Sources podcast this week, Mr Ewing said there was a “toxic” atmosphere within the SNP group at Holyrood, claiming some in senior positions within the party and in Government have not spoken to him in “well over a year”.

The former minister was widely expected to face disciplinary action after backing a no confidence motion in Green minister Lorna Slater last month, which was tabled by the Conservatives. However, the death of his mother Winnie, a legendary nationalist politician, complicated matters.

Mr Yousaf said issues of internal group discipline would be discussed after the summer recess. He said: “People aren’t going to be expelled or punished for criticising me, or criticising the party’s direction on certain positions. We will always look to adhere to the standing orders that apply to me just as much as they apply to Fergus or Angus Brendan MacNeil. So people will be held to those standing orders.”

Asked if there was a “toxic” environment within the party, the First Minister said “not in my experience”. He added: “There’s pretty robust debate, it’s fair to say.”

Mr Yousaf reflected on the first group meeting at Holyrood after his election as leader earlier this year, where he said former rival Kate Forbes spoke about the need for the party to come together and support the leadership.

“There’s always going to be disagreements in a party of 75,000 [members], a party that has as many elected members as we do,” he said.

However, Mr Yousaf said: “There is a section of our group, it’s relatively small, there are some people in our group – Fergus Ewing chiefly who has spoken publicly about this – who disagree with the direction of travel in relation to our co-operation with the Greens.”