Veteran SNP politician and ex-Fife MSP Tricia Marwick launched a strongly worded attack on party members leaking information about internal problems.
Ms Marwick, who was also Presiding Officer of Holyrood for five years, criticised people who feel “more important than the SNP”.
She said if they think their individual views are important they should “get a grip”.
The long-serving Nationalist hit out after a leaked video from 2021 showed then first minister Nicola Sturgeon telling the party’s ruling body to be “very careful about suggestions there are problems” with finances.
‘I don’t want to know you’
The video shows Ms Sturgeon addressing a meeting of the SNP’s national executive committee.
She said the party had “never been in a stronger financial position than it is now”.
Ms Sturgeon added: “I’m not going to get into the details … but just be very careful about suggestions that there are problems with the party’s finances because we depend on donors to donate – there are no reasons for people to be concerned about the party’s finances and all of us need to be careful about suggesting that there is.”
In a post on social media, Ms Marwick addressed people “leaking and spinning” conversations.
“You have not put the interests of the SNP first,” she added.
“Go now.”
In a follow-up, she continued: “I joined the SNP in 86. Elected to the Scottish Parliament in 99. SNP elected as minority govt in 2007. We made sure we never dissented publicly.
“If you feel you are more important than the SNP and if you think your views matter then get a grip.
“I don’t want to know you.”
Tories call for Sturgeon to be suspended
Following the leaked video the Scottish Conservatives called for Ms Sturgeon to be booted out the SNP altogether.
The party’s chairman Craig Hoy said: “Nicola Sturgeon has huge questions to answer over this devastating video – which reveals everything that was wrong with the SNP under the control of her and Peter Murrell.”
Blackford defends former first minister
Sturgeon ally Ian Blackford, the party’s former Westminster leader, dismissed opposition calls to suspend Ms Sturgeon from the SNP.
The Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP told BBC Radio Scotland today: “Good gracious, absolutely not, there’s no reason for that at all.
“What the [former] first minister was reflecting on was the ability of the SNP to conduct itself as an organisation, having the financial resources in order to fight elections and to support its members.”
He added: “I think that’s some of our opponents politicking, really, in this context.”
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