Angus MacNeil has confirmed that he will stand as an Independent in Na h-Eileanan an Iar come the next election. The incumbent MP’s decision came after he was expelled as a member of the party yesterday. In a tweet following the decision, Angus said “I didn’t leave the SNP – the SNP have left me.” He then described the member conduct committee using an emoji of a Kangaroo…
The Summer of Member Expulsion, has indeed come to pass.
— Angus B MacNeil MP🇺🇦 (@AngusMacNeilSNP) August 10, 2023
As I have been expelled as a rank & file SNP member by a "member conduct committee." 🦘
I didn't leave the SNP - the SNP have left me.
I wish they were as bothered about 🏴 independence as they are about me! 🤷🙄
Angus’s expulsion comes following a bust-up with the SNP Chief Whip, first reported by Guido, and his subsequent criticisms of the party. He had previously indicated he could be open to a return, should the party refocus on independence. His decision to stand as an independent has led to speculation that he might split the independence vote in his Western Isles constituency, allowing Labour in through the middle. Angus is unperturbed by such considerations, he told Guido he was concerned:
“Only if the SNP compound their stupidity by standing against me.”
It’s not like the SNP to damage their cause with entirely self-inflicted errors…
The SNP have suspended Angus MacNeil’s party membership this afternoon, after he attacked their “clueless” leadership and refused to rejoin the party until it “gets serious” about Scottish independence. He’d already lost the SNP whip following a public bust-up with the Chief Whip, as Guido first reported. Now they’ve taken it a step further…
A spokesperson for the SNP said:
“Angus MacNeil MP was advised by the SNP National Secretary on Wednesday that she considered him to be in breach of the party’s code of conduct by his decision to resign from the SNP Westminster parliamentary group. Having acknowledged this, Mr MacNeil did not take up the offer to rejoin the SNP parliamentary group and the matter was, therefore, yesterday referred to the SNP Member Conduct Committee for consideration.”
MacNeil told Guido it was just a “slap on the wrist” to lose the whip. He won’t be losing any sleep over his party membership.
Angus MacNeil has claimed he won’t rejoin the SNP Westminster group until the party provides “clarity” on Scottish independence, and will continue to sit as an independent MP in the meantime. He was suspended last week following a public bust-up with the Chief Whip, although he insists that has nothing to do with his announcement today. Instead, the SNP just needs to “get serious” about secession, and he’s set them a deadline of their October conference:
“I will only seek the SNP whip again if it is clear that the SNP are pursuing independence. At the moment, the SNP has become a brand name missing the key ingredient. The urgency for independence is absent.
[…]
The Scottish Government went to the Supreme Court a year ago utterly clueless about how to pursue independence, left the Supreme Court utterly clueless about how to pursue independence. The SNP still have no clear understanding that it has to use elections to negotiate Scottish independence from Westminster by getting the backing of the majority of the electorate. The SNP membership must have a say at conference on the policy direction, which it hasn’t until now.
[…]
I will continue with my staff to work as best we can for the population of Na h-Eileanan an lar, until the SNP gets serious about independence, to improve lives and society in the Hebrides and Scotland.”
He’ll be waiting a long time if he’s expecting the SNP to “get serious” about anything…
Read the full letter below:
SNP MP Angus MacNeil has had the party whip suspended following a public bust-up with the Chief Whip, first reported by Guido. Guido spoke to Angus, who hardly seemed distressed by the “slap on the wrist”…
Yet more trouble in paradise for the SNP, as senior SNP MP Angus MacNeil was observed berating his party’s Chief Whip, Brendan O’Hara in the division lobbies last night. MacNeil was witnessed booming at his somewhat diminutive colleague “You’re a small wee man!” several times before throwing a clutch of letters at him, which then scattered across the floor. MacNeil then charged off, not before lobbing a final “Small man!” in his colleague’s direction.
Guido hears the source of Angus’s anger was the Chief Whip’s decision to send a series of terse letters, instead of having a polite word, complaining about missed votes. Angus provided further context to his behaviour on Twitter this morning, with a statement of “general advice”:
“Always stand up to bullies, – esp any abusing their positions – particularly those who scurry around shouting to anyone listening, “I’ll get him, I’ll get him, I WILL get him! – mark my words” These are people, who from school, we should get taught to face down”.
You’ll take the high road…
Guido was pleased to kick off Westminster’s party season last night at the Aussie High Commissioner’s residence over in Kensington, although guests weren’t actually invited inside and had to use portaloos in the neighbour’s driveway. The guest of honour was Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who took a night off battling for Ukraine to get dressed up and pose next to the BBQ’s head chef.
While Ben may have been guest of honour, the star of the show was undoubtedly the food itself – Guido can confidently predict the next fortnight’s worth of canapés will struggle to compete. A speech prior to the feast saw Meat & Livestock Australia’s spokesman extolling the virtues of the new UK-AUS free trade deal, which will allow their fantastic beef and lamb to once again flood UK supermarket shelves.
Also spotted enjoying the catering and speeches was, ironically, none other than the SNP’s Angus Brendan MacNeil, whose role as chairman of the Commons’ Trade Committee saw him bemoan said trade agreement last year as “something which brings significant harms as well as benefits”:
“The views of the entire farming sector especially are no secret now, including those in the devolved nations, who are particularly concerned about being undercut by cheaper meat and dairy produce from ‘down under’.”
MacNeil managed to park his concerns while tucking into mounds of 12-hour slow-cooked beef brisket. Hard-left MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle also showed up, having decided his rail picketing was secondary to a posh drinks do at the High Commissioner’s Knightsbridge residence…
