NICOLA STURGEON has found herself in the firing line as the party she once led comes to terms with its first national defeat in over a decade.

Saturday’s recount in the Inverness, Skye & West Ross-shire constituency proved not only to be the final result in the 2024 general election but the final insult for the SNP as Drew Hendry’s  seat became the last of its 39 losses, as its total fell to just nine: its worst result since 2010.

For the defeated candidate in Edinburgh South West Joanna Cherry there was little doubt where the blame lay.

On the Sky News today the former MP, who opposed SNP gender recognition reforms which Ms Sturgeon championed, said: “I am afraid to say — and ashamed for my party — that both our reputation of governing competently and for integrity has taken a severe battering in the last couple of years.

“I don’t think you can ever blame a setback like this on one person: however, Nicola Sturgeon was a very strong leader who brooked no debate and no dissent, as I know to my considerable cost.”

The man who sacked Ms Cherry as a frontbencher for her dissent on gender recognition, merchant-banker-turned-humble-crofter Ian Blackford, the SNP’s former Westminster leader, dismissed Ms Cherry’s views today, branding her “bitter.” 

He said: “I have to look at everything I did when I was Westminster leader, and of course I did have a good relationship with Nicola.

“Should I have pushed more on certain things? I don’t know.”

On the election result, he said: “You can’t sugarcoat any of this. It’s up to [party leader] John [Swinney] what the party does, but the electorate have delivered a very clear message to us: primarily they’re pissed off.”