SNP expels Campbell Martin
The Scottish National Party (SNP) has expelled one of its MSPs for conduct “inimical to the interests of the Party.”
The SNP’s national executive decided to expel Mr Campbell Martin, alleging he had “distributed documents purporting to be internal party documents and that he had written an article in which he called on voters to abstain in the European elections or to vote against the SNP.”
Mr Martin, an outspoken critic of outgoing SNP leader John Swinney, was originally suspended in April for criticising the leadership’s strategy.
The two charges against him refer to suggestions made in a media article that if a poor European election result led to a new and dynamic SNP leadership then the cause of independence would be well served. He suggested that voters should either abstain or vote against the SNP to ensure a change of leadership.
There are also allegations that he leaked details of internal SNP discussions to the media in the run up to war in Iraq.
Mr Martin is now expelled from the membership of the party and from the SNP group in the Scottish Parliament.
He will however continue as an MSP and sit in the Parliament as an independent.
Dr Alasdair Allan, national secretary of the SNP, said: “The NEC was quite clear that Mr Martin has stepped outside the boundaries of what is expected of anyone who wishes to be a member of the SNP. They decided that his call for SNP members to vote against the Party was an affront to all hard-working and committed Party members.”
It is unclear what will happen next, as Mr Martin has not yet revealed his long term intentions. Under party rules Mr Martin can appeal against the suspension but there are various suggestions that he might either appeal, take legal action or join the Scottish Socialist Party.
