Sunak ‘delighted’ as SNP call for by-election following MP’s defection
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The Prime Minister says he is “delighted” an SNP MP has quit to join the Conservatives, with Humza Yousaf’s party calling for a by-election in her seat.
Dr Lisa Cameron said a “toxic and bullying” culture within the SNP group at Westminster had led to her switching sides, becoming the first MP of her party to join the Tories.
Her defection comes on the day she was facing a selection battle in her constituency of East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow.
An SNP minister had backed her opponent, Grant Costello.
Dr Cameron claimed she was shunned by other SNP MPs at Westminster after challenging the support given to former chief whip Patrick Grady – who was suspended from the House of Commons and apologised in Parliament after being found to have acted inappropriately towards a party staffer.
She told the Scottish Daily Mail newspaper: “I do not feel able to continue in what I have experienced as a toxic and bullying SNP Westminster group, which resulted in my requiring counselling for a period of 12 months in Parliament and caused significant deterioration in my health and wellbeing as assessed by my GP, including the need for antidepressants.
“I will never regret my actions in standing up for a victim of abuse at the hands of an SNP MP last year, but I have no faith remaining in a party whose leadership supported the perpetrator’s interests over that of the victim’s and who have shown little to no interest in acknowledging or addressing the impact.”
She praised Mr Sunak’s “positive” leadership, saying it contrasted to that of the SNP group.
Dr Cameron also said the SNP’s founding cause of Scottish independence had led to “significant division” in families like hers.
Her change of party comes days before the SNP conference in Aberdeen and follows the party’s significant by-election loss in Rutherglen and Hamilton West last week.
Mr Sunak reacted to her decision saying: “I am delighted that Lisa Cameron has decided to join the Conservatives. She is a brave and committed constituency MP.
“Lisa is right that we should aim to do politics better, with more empathy and less division and a dedication to always doing what we think is right.
“I look forward to working with her on the disability issues she has championed so passionately in Parliament.”
An SNP spokeswoman said her constituents would be “appalled” that they now had a Conservative MP.
She said: “Lisa Cameron should now do the right thing and step down to allow a by-election.
“Her constituents elected an SNP MP not a Tory, and they deserve to have the democratic opportunity to elect a hard-working SNP MP who will put the interests of Scotland first.
“On a personal basis, we wish her well.”
In the 2019 election, Dr Cameron took 46.4% of the vote as an SNP candidate, with Labour winning 22.7% and the Conservatives 21.2%.
Dr Cameron is a clinical psychologist and has previously been the SNP’s spokeswoman on mental health matters.
Conservative MP John Lamont posted a “warm welcome” to his new colleague on Twitter, while Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: “As the SNP continues to implode, this is another signal that @ScotTories are making gains at their expense.”
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said he looked forward to working with Dr Cameron.
He said: “Like many ex-SNP supporters, she has realised that her former party is hopelessly divided under Humza Yousaf and incapable of focusing on the real priorities of the Scottish people.
“Lisa took a principled stand in supporting the victim in the Patrick Grady case, when her party took the side of the disgraced MP. For doing so, she has been shamefully and inexplicably mistreated by the SNP.”
Labour’s shadow Scottish Secretary, Ian Murray, said: “This bizarre move shows that the SNP is falling apart before our eyes.
“The fact is that the SNP and the Tories are two sides of the same coin – putting the cause of division before the needs of the people.
“While the SNP and Tories compete to out-do each other in incompetence, Labour is focused on rebuilding our country and getting Britain its future back.”
