THE MP suspended from the SNP before he was even elected has been readmitted to the party after a six month suspension.

Neale Hanvey was elected as an independent after the party took disciplinary action against him in the run up to December's snap general election.

He has sat and voted with the SNP group since then.

Now the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath member has formally been readmitted to the party.

He said: "I am delighted to have been welcomed back into the SNP and the SNP parliamentary group."

Hanvey's suspension followed complaints about material he had shared online.

He issued an "unequivocal apology" for what he called "dreadful errors of judgement" over the material, which included an article about the Jewish financier George Soros and depicted him using an anti-Semitic trope.

Another post drew parallels between the "unconscionable treatment" of Jewish people in the Second World War and contemporary conditions for Palestinians.

At the time, Hanvey said he supported the party's decision to suspend him, saying he wanted to "make amends" for any hurt caused to the Jewish community. He stated: "Although I do not in any way consider myself anti-Semitic, on reflection the language I used was and this is clearly unacceptable."

Announcing the end of the suspension on his parliamentary Facebook page, Hanvey said: “The past six months has been a journey for me, and I am delighted to announce that I have been welcomed back into the SNP and the SNP parliamentary group this week.

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported me through this challenging time, and to the Antisemitism Policy Trust for their engagement and guidance over the past few months.

"I look forward to being part of the strong SNP representation in parliament as I continue my work as an MP standing up for my constituents and Scotland."

The SNP commented: "Neale Hanvey’s six-month suspension from the SNP ended on 27 May, having met the requirements set out by the Member Conduct Committee.

"His application to now join the SNP Westminster Group has been accepted and he will now sit as an SNP MP.

"We thank the Antisemitism Policy Trust for its work and all that they do to educate and empower decision-makers to address anti-Semitism."