SNP MP Joanna Cherry has ruled out a return to the SNP front benche following Stephen Flynn’s appointment as the party’s leader in Westminster.
Cherry said she was “sacked” from the party’s front bench team last year when a reshuffle was announced.
The Edinburgh South West MP was removed from her post as the party’s spokesperson for justice and home affairs in January 2021.
There’s been a lot of speculation about me returning to @theSNP front bench under the new leadership so I should make it clear that my commitment to chair the @HumanRightsCtte pending completion of current inquiries makes that impossible.
— Joanna Cherry KC (@joannaccherry) December 6, 2022
Writing on Twitter following Flynn’s announcement, Cherry said her commitment to chairing the UK Parliament’s Human Rights Committee meant re-joining the front bench was not possible.
She said: “There’s been a lot of speculation about me returning to @theSNP front bench under the new leadership so I should make it clear that my commitment to chair the @HumanRightsCtte pending completion of further inquiries makes that impossible.”
Flynn won the backing of 26 MPs and appointed Mhairi Black as his deputy leader following Kirsten Oswald’s departure from the role.
It is expected that the Aberdeen South MP will make some changes to the SNP’s front bench.
Flynn will face his first PMQs in his new role on Wednesday afternoon.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon reacts to new SNP Westminster leadership team
Cherry has been at odds with the SNP over new legislation which will make it easier to obtain a gender recognition certificate.
Speaking to the BBC in October, she said she was sacked because of a “very aggressive gender identity ideology”.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel