Despite hard work, results & a strong reputation I’ve been sacked today from @theSNP front bench. My constituents & fellow party members who gave me a resounding mandate in recent NEC elections should rest assured that I will continue to work hard for them.

— Joanna Cherry QC (@joannaccherry) February 1, 2021

The SNP’s shadow home office and justice spokesperson in the Commons, Joanna Cherry, has announced via Twitter she has been sacked from the party’s front bench. Whilst Sturgeon’s motivation for the dismissal has not yet emerged, Cherry stands opposed to the party’s leadership on the two biggest rows at the moment: defending Salmond in the ongoing civil war; and causing headaches for Sturgeon in the trans rights row. Just yesterday, Cherry blocked fellow SNP MP – and former deputy leader in Westminster – Kirsty Blackman over a trans rights row…

UPDATE: Perhaps the Salmond row is at the heart of this sacking after all: Tom Gordon points out “the only SNP MPs without a role in the new Westminster line-up are the three closest to Alex Salmond – Joanna Cherry, Angus MacNeil and Kenny MacAskill”