SNP MSPs vote to suspend Fergus Ewing from Holyrood group

The vote took place at a special private meeting held by the group in Holyrood yesterday evening. 

First Minister Humza Yousaf was not present due to being unwell, while his predecessor as party leader and first minister Nicola Sturgeon also missed the meeting due to a prior engagement. 

READ MORE: Former government minister defends use of Sitka spruce in Scottish forestry

It is understood to be the first time an SNP MSP has been voted out of the parliamentary group at Holyrood by their peers.

A total of 48 MSPs voted in favour of the motion to suspend Mr Ewing for a week from the SNP group, with nine voting against and four absentions.

A spokesperson for the SNP Holyrood Group said: "At a meeting this evening, a proposal was carried to suspend Fergus Ewing from the SNP Holyrood Group for a period of one week."

Mr Ewing, the MSP for Inverness and Nairn, is among the longest serving MSPs and one of the few remaining from the first cohort elected in 1999. Mr Ewing, whose previous cabinet secretary role included a forestry brief, has since become  a staunch defender of the industry. 

After the 65-minute meeting the former senior minister read a statement to journalists, flanked by his sister, the SNP MSP Annabelle Ewing, and colleagues Kate Forbes and Christine Grahame.

He was scathing of the SNP arguing it was no longer the party that put Scotland first.

"I was literally born into the SNP. For me, and indeed many others, support of the party and advocacy of an independent Scotland has been a life’s work," said the 66-year-old former senior minister, who was first elected an SNP MSP in 1999.

"My loyalty to the party has been great. Many is the time as a minister and as an MSP I have bitten my tongue for the greater good.

"I did this because I knew that whatever disagreements or policy shortcomings I thought the party had, it was fundamentally attempting to do the right thing by my constituents and for Scotland.

"It was never an ordinary political party because it was one which put Scotland first. In good conscience this is no longer the case and it has nothing to do with personalities or my antipathy towards the Green Party."

He was represented by one of Scotland’s most senior lawyers John Campbell KC at Wednesday's disciplinary hearing.

Party leaders moved to suspend Mr Ewing for a week over a series of rebellions that culminated in him voting to support a Conservative motion of no confidence in circular economy minister Lorna Slater, who is also co-leader of the Scottish Greens.

Mr Campbell was counsel to the inquiry into the overspend on the Scottish Parliament building, among a series of other prominent cases.

It is understood Mr Ewing can appeal against the decision to the SNP's National Executive Committee.

SNP MSPs needed to vote by a two thirds majority for any member to have the whip withdrawn.

Mr Ewing this month won MSP of the year at Holyrood magazine’s annual political awards.

Fergus Ewing was widely praised for his forestry advocation during his time in government (Image: PA)

In June he voted that he had no confidence in Ms Slater following her handling of the government's planned deposit return scheme which was hit by a number of delays before being put on hold until the UK Government bring forward a similar initiative.

This month he rebelled against the government in a vote over calls for a 12-month delay to a short-term lets licensing scheme.

He has also criticised gender reforms, a lack of progress on dualling the A9 fishing controls and plans, now axed, for highly protected marine areas.

He has called for a fresh SNP vote on the power-sharing Bute House agreement with the Scottish Greens, whom he described as extremists and "wine bar revolutionaries".

It is understood the argument in his defence at the meeting was that he has been standing up for the interests of his constituents so should be spared any punishment.

Mr Ewing is unlikely to stop his newfound rebellious streak despite the punishment and although parts of the SNP group, closer to the Greens, are angry and frustrated with him, he also maintains support among others.

Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf’s main rival for the SNP leadership, said the party should be “extraordinarily careful” about suspending Mr Ewing. She said that Highland communities believed he spoke for them.

This article originally appeared in our sister title, The Herald.