‘Stitched up' SNP candidate in Falkirk West cleared
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He was one of four candidates vying to replace Michael Matheson and stand for the SNP in Falkirk West at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.
However, as revealed in The Herald, he was suspended from the party and removed from the selection process after the leader of Falkirk Council, Cecil Meiklejohn, accused him of bullying and defaming her.
Local councillor Gary Bouse was ultimately selected by constituency members in May.
One furious local activist told The Herald the whole contest should be re-run.
They said: 'We've been saying for weeks that this process was flawed. Toni was stitched up, and the selection process has no legitimacy whatsoever.
'The National Secretary must either announce he is re-running the contest or hand in his resignation. Toni was winning this contest by a country mile, but Swinney didn't want someone who pushed too hard on independence."
Toni Giugliano said he was consulting with members about what action to takeAccording to confidential documents seen by The Herald, a complaint against Mr Giugliano was first submitted just before midnight on August 31, 2024, by Councillor Meiklejohn.
She said that at the party's conference in Edinburgh, Mr Giugliano had made a number of accusations which she found 'very intimidating', and that the manner in which she had been 'berated... could be considered as bullying'.
Two days later, Dumfries and Galloway councillor Katie Hagmann emailed Mr Kerr, who had just been elected as National Secretary, saying she was 'a witness to behaviour' which she described as unacceptable.
Five other members who were present during the discussion between the two also emailed Mr Kerr, defending Mr Giugliano.
With no further action taken, Mr Giugliano believed the matter had been dealt with.
However, Councillor Meiklejohn then emailed the National Secretary in early January with 'a selection of examples as evidence' and asked that they be considered.
Still, no action was taken. Mr Giugliano passed vetting on March 12. He then went for nomination at a branch meeting in Falkirk on April 3.
The council leader then emailed Mr Kerr, 'expressing her disappointment that TG had appeared on the approved list of candidates, despite her outstanding complaint'.
On April 8, Mr Kerr 'wrote to the convener of the Member Conduct Committee (MCC) asking them to call a meeting to consider a potential breach' of SNP rules.
Mr Giugliano was suspended on April 30, just days before members voted to select a candidate. After a short investigation, the complaint was upheld. Mr Giugliano then appealed.
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The appeals committee found the MCC's handling of the complaint 'was procedurally unfair to the member to a significant extent'.
They said this was because Mr Kerr had only handed the conduct committee the evidence from councillors Meiklejohn and Hagmann — and not from the other witnesses.
The CAC reported that Mr Kerr 'stated at the hearing that he saw his role as akin to the procurator fiscal in a criminal matter, and that he did not need to provide evidence other than that in support of the complaint'.
The committee disagreed, saying he 'should have provided the MCC with all relevant evidence', which would have enabled the MCC 'to hold a fair hearing and reach a decision on all relevant material'.
The CAC said the appeal should also be upheld on the grounds that, had the MCC seen this evidence, it would likely have found 'that the ground of complaint was not established'.
The committee concluded the evidence 'does not support a finding of malicious defamatory behaviour'.
Alex Kerr with Nicola Sturgeon. He told the committee he saw his role as that of a Procurator Fiscal. (Image: Supplied) In a statement posted on social media, Mr Giugliano said: 'I'm delighted that the SNP's Conduct Appeals Committee has unanimously upheld my appeal and dismissed the complaint that led to my removal from the Falkirk West selection ballot, days before the poll closed.
'I should never have been suspended and removed from the ballot — that decision was procedurally flawed. The committee's report is clear that I was denied a fair hearing. Indeed, I should have been cleared.
'This is a full vindication for the SNP members who voted for me and stood by me.
"I will now consult both with my supporters in Falkirk and the party about what comes next.
"But make no mistake, our membership is the foundation of the SNP and they must never again be side-lined and disenfranchised. I'm pleased that due process has finally prevailed.'
An SNP spokesperson said: "'Understandably, we don't comment on confidential internal processes.'
The Falkirk West constituency has been the scene of bitter internal feuding for some time.
After Mr Giugliano won the selection in 2023 to stand for the Westminster seat, a complaint was made to SNP HQ alleging he placed undue pressure on local members to support him — but he was cleared of all allegations weeks later.
Following his defeat in the July 2024 general election, Mr Giugliano criticised the SNP's handling of the scandal involving Mr Matheson.
He wrote on Facebook: 'An MSP found to have breached rules on parliamentary expenses must never again be protected — quite the opposite, they must be removed from office.'
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