Fife MP defects to the Alba Party from the SNP

A Fife MP has made the switch from the SNP to the Alba Party.

Neale Hanvey MP, who represents Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath in the House of Commons, is one of two MP's in Scotland to make such a defection.

The other is East Lothian MP Kenny MacAskill.

It comes after Alex Salmond announced on Friday that he is to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming Holyrood election taking place in May.

The party is aiming to field candidates in some of the regions for the Scottish Parliament, with the aim of delivering "a supermajority for independence".

Mr Hanvey said in an Alba Party video: "The Alba Party provide a tonic for our movement, with an unashamedly optimistic vision for Scotland's impending transition to an independent European nation.

"The Alba Party's growing membership will shape the party's policy priorities in the coming week."

The main parties in Scotland have been providing their reaction to the defections.

An SNP spokesperson said: "The SNP is focused on tackling coronavirus and securing a strong, fair and green recovery for Scotland as an independent country in a post-pandemic referendum.

"If re-elected, the SNP will deliver a 4% pay rise for NHS staff, 100,000 affordable homes, a National Care Service and other ambitious policies to secure a fair recovery."

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross MP said: "All focus should be on the pandemic and our recovery but Sturgeon's SNP and Salmond's ultra-nationalists want this election to be another divisive fight about the constitution.

"That is why I am urging Labour and the Lib Dems to work with the Scottish Conservatives just as we did in 2014."

Neil Bibby, Scottish Labour's campaign co-chair, said: "Scotland deserves so much better than this politics of grudge, personality and ego.

"Neale Hanvey and Kenny MacAskill must both stand down and give their constituents the chance to elect politicians more interested in guaranteeing Scotland's recovery than endlessly refighting yesterday's war."

A spokesperson for the Scottish Greens said: "This election should be about putting forward a positive vision for Scotland's future, not settling personal vendettas.

"Unlike minor parties with no policy agenda or record, the Scottish Greens have been delivering for the people of Scotland, and are asking people to vote like our future depends on it."

Alistair Carmichael MP from the Scottish Liberal Democrats said: "Like paint chipping off an old and decaying wall, Neale Hanvey's defection is the latest episode in the nationalist's bitter, twisted and divided civil war.

"People can reject the old arguments by backing Willie Rennie’s Liberal Democrats."

Image from UK Parliament released under Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) Licence