THE SNP faces being punished in the 2026 Holyrood elections unless it “gets serious” and embraces Trident, according to former MP Stewart McDonald.

The former SNP defence spokesman, once dubbed “the honourable member for Nato” by constituents, lost his Glasgow South seat to Labour at the General Election.

On the Ponsonby & Massie podcast at the weekend, Mr McDonald described his party’s drubbing on July 4 as a “hard pause” in its Scottish separation aims. 

Offering his assessment on the SNP’s ills, the one-time frontbencher said: “I think we have a cultural problem within the SNP and that cultural problem is about seriousness.”

He cited his party’s support of using elections as de facto referendums and its policy to rid Scotland of Trident within two years of separation as examples of a lack of seriousness.

Calling for the SNP anti-Trident policy to be ditched, he said: “This is what needs to go, this is what needs to be a part of our history.

“And if we are to be successful, if we are to not get horsed [punished] in 2026 and enjoy a long spell in opposition, this kind of culture cannot last.

“I want to see us grow up, I want to see us get serious. I want to see us have a debate where there are no sacred cows, nothing is off the table.”

On the future of the SNP party leader, he said: “I do trust John Swinney to try to turn things round. But it will require him, if I can use some fruity language, to be a ruthless bastard.”

But asked if SNP being “horsed” was the most likely outcome in 2026, Mr McDonald admitted: “Yes.”