Even before Thursday’s surprising news of an SNP MP defecting to the Conservatives, the upcoming Scottish National Party (SNP) conference was already set to face major challenges. This conference marks the first since Humza Yousaf took over as SNP leader, the first since the party’s financial investigation, and the first since Labour’s victory in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection. The gathering in Aberdeen was already laden with problems.
While the defection of Lisa Cameron to the Tories may seem manageable given the SNP’s disdain for the Conservatives, it raises significant concerns. It is impossible to ignore the serious allegations Ms Cameron made against the SNP upon her departure. The SNP is experiencing electoral headwinds for the first time in over a decade, and the loss of another MP could intensify these challenges.
Ms Cameron left her position as the SNP MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven, and Lesmahagow before being pushed. Her disagreements with the party leadership and her isolation within the SNP group at Westminster were widely anticipated. The former NHS psychologist faced potential deselection this week, as much of the party hierarchy openly or tacitly desired her replacement. In a less-than-gracious response, Mr Yousaf referred to her departure as the least surprising news since becoming party leader. However, Ms Cameron has, in some ways, done Mr Yousaf a favor by defecting rather than resigning. This avoids triggering a costly byelection in a nearby South Lanarkshire seat, which the struggling SNP leader cannot afford to lose.
Considering the current state of Scottish politics, joining the Tories is hardly an opportunistic career move for Ms Cameron, as they currently rank a distant third in general election polls in Scotland. Rather, it symbolizes her frustration with the SNP. This occurs at a time when Mr Yousaf’s leadership and the party’s reputation are already facing unprecedented scrutiny. While it is unlikely that this will explode at the Aberdeen conference, it will certainly catch the attention of party activists and voters alike.
In her resignation, Ms Cameron cited multiple personal and political differences. She described the SNP group culture as “toxic and bullying” and detrimental to her mental health. When she supported a harassment victim of fellow SNP MP Patrick Grady, she claimed to have been “ostracised” by party leaders who instead defended Mr Grady. As a practicing Christian, she opposed both abortion liberalization and the SNP’s gender recognition bill. Furthermore, she supported the UK government’s intervention to challenge the latter in court. Above all, she criticized the “division” caused by the SNP’s independence policy itself.
Party leaders would find it easier to dismiss these charges if they did not resonate with others. The SNP’s top-down centralism during the Sturgeon era has often been criticized for its intolerance of dissent. Other SNP MPs have also expressed feeling marginalized if they disagreed with the party’s social agenda. Kate Forbes MSP, who lost to Mr Yousaf in this year’s leadership election, is the most prominent example, but she is not alone. Other MPs have lost the whip, joined Alex Salmond’s Alba Party, or have already announced their retirement before the next election.
Whether or not these issues fully manifest themselves at the carefully controlled Aberdeen conference, Scottish politics is undoubtedly experiencing a transformative moment. While independence remains popular among young voters, the SNP is facing more significant challenges than it has in years. Mr Yousaf faces a formidable task in steadying the ship.
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