A nationalist MP has sensationally quit the SNP and joined the Tories in a major blow to Humza Yousaf just days ahead of his party’s conference.
Dr Lisa Cameron has defected to the Conservatives after she accused SNP colleagues at Westminster of “group bullying”.
Mr Yousaf said she should stand down for her “betrayal” of constituents who backed the SNP. He also claimed an open offer of a chat had been turned down.
The former SNP MP has represented the party in East Kilbride for eight years, but faced a battle to hold onto her seat at the next election.
Senior party figures, including a Holyrood minister, had backed a rival SNP contender trying to oust her in the constituency.
Asked if the defection was a surprise, the first minister said: “Not at all, it was probably the least surprising news frankly that I’ve had as first minister and party leader in the last six months.
“For me, Lisa Cameron by her own admission was facing a very difficult selection contest and now we know why.
“It’s clear that the people of her constituency, they voted for an SNP MP. They did not vote for a Conservative MP.
“Lisa Cameron should do the honourable thing and step down. It would be the right thing to do.”
Dr Cameron claimed she had been “ostracised” for speaking out against SNP MP Patrick Grady over a sexual misconduct row.
She told the Daily Mail: “I do not feel able to continue in what I have experienced as a toxic and bullying SNP Westminster group.
“I have received no contact from party leadership in the past weeks, despite members of every other main political party contacting me to offer support and compassion.”
Dr Cameron said she felt listened to by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and said the SNP’s pursuit of independence had led to “significant division” in Scotland.
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said it was “great to have Lisa Cameron on board”.
‘Real betrayal’
Mr Yousaf added: “I think it is a real betrayal of her constituents and is a real betrayal of the activists who worked so hard in that seat to make it an SNP seat.
“For somebody who purports to be for independence to then join the Conservative and Unionist Party, it’s really questionable whether she had any commitment to the cause in the first place.”
Mr Yousaf said he’d made an offer to talk to her days ago.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn and his deputy Mhiari Black met Ms Cameron for dinner a few weeks ago “to speak to her about the issues she may have had,” he added.
In a swipe at his former colleague, Perthshire SNP MP Pete Wishart said: “It comes as absolutely no surprise to me at all.
“The local party has been trying to get rid of her for years.
“This has absolutely nothing to do with Patrick Grady or a toxic environment. That’s entirely in the imagination of Lisa Cameron.”
Another SNP source told us: “Lisa Cameron denied her local party the chance to democratically decide whether she should represent them.
“It’s fitting she has joined the democracy denying Tories who refuse to give Scotland a chance to decide their future.”
Earlier this year the new Tory MP wrote to Scottish Secretary Alister Jack suggesting he could “intervene” over the SNP’s Holyrood gender reforms.
Her departure is another major headache for Mr Yousaf as SNP members head to Aberdeen on Sunday for the party’s annual conference.
It also comes just a week after the nationalists were routed by Labour in the nearby Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.
Dr Cameron’s East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow constituency was previously a Labour stronghold and has never backed the Tories.
Sir Keir Starmer’s party – currently ahead in the polls – were expected to be the main challengers to the SNP in the revamped seat at the next election.