09-05-2025
SNP threatens members with disciplinary action amid selection ‘stitch up' claims
SNP bosses have threatened members with disciplinary action after they complained a key Holyrood selection race had been rigged.
Long-term activist Toni Giugliano was booted out of the contest to stand in Falkirk West at the eleventh hour - despite claims he was leading on votes - after a misconduct allegation.
2
Nicola Sturgeon with Toni Giugliano on the campaign trail in 2021.
2
Shamed ex-minister Michael Matheson is not seeking re-election at the 2026 election.
Credit: Alamy
His supporters claim he was stitched up by party chiefs in a "kangaroo court" and complained to SNP HQ after the final candidate list was announced earlier this week, with local councillor Gary Bouse declared the winner.
Now, Nats national secretary Alex Kerr has sent an email to members who raised concerns about the process.
In it, he warns of disciplinary action and suggests those who disagree should quit the party if they don't accept the "rules".
Mr Kerr's email, seen by the Scottish Sun, claims "there have been active efforts to spread misinformation about how matters unfolded".
The party's national secretary refused to explain why Mr Giugliano was booted out but said: "I will simply say that a process was followed, and the process meant the member involved was not eligible to remain in the selection contest until its conclusion."
Mr Kerr added that a "notion .. seems to have been put forward locally that an individual member who is not a national office bearer and not a member of the Member Conduct Committee" had orchestrated the complaint but this was "a blatant misrepresentation of the facts".
Mr Kerr's email warned: "Anyone perpetrating this myth, and seeking to apportion 'blame' on any individual for the outcome of a disciplinary hearing has most likely breached the Member Code of Conduct themselves."
He said "rules and procedures will not always lead to conclusions we like", and added: "If anyone cannot accept them then perhaps they need to reconsider whether they can be a member of an organisation that acts for all of its members, and not just for those that we have personal regard."
The Falkirk West candidate selection contest saw a race to replace disgraced ex health secretary Michael Matheson, who is standing down following the row over his iPad charges expenses claim which led to his suspension from parliament last year.
Mr Bouse won after Mr Giugliano was kicked out of the contest in the final days.
SNP bosses have since faced claims that a bullying claim was made up about Mr Giugliano, who has stood for the party on a string of occasions for Holyrood and Westminster.
Last night, a senior Falkirk SNP source said: "Alex Kerr is lashing out at local members because we won't accept his kangaroo court ruling.
"He's now threatening us with disciplinary action if we don't accept his decision. What on earth has the SNP turned into?
"Kerr's contempt for local members is astounding - this is the sort of stuff we expect from the Tories, not the SNP.
"What on earth was HQ thinking, excluding a candidate who was about to win - did they think we'd all go along with it?
"This selection result carries no legal or political weight and it will be challenged.
"They've made a situation a hundred times worse - Alex Kerr needs to recognise this and offer his resignation."
Mr Giugliano declined to comment but a source close to him said he strongly denied any wrongdoing about the incident at the heart of the complaint.
The source said: 'Toni was booted out for having a conversation - witnessed by three other people - where he expressed a different point of view. If he'd chosen not to stand this complaint would never have seen the light of day.'
We told in 2023 of a spat over Mr Giugliano's selection as the SNP's General Election candidate for Falkirk.
He went on to win the candidacy - but lost out to Labour last July.
An SNP spokesperson said: 'Any internal disciplinary matters are dealt with in a manner that is confidential to the parties concerned.'
