Kirkcaldy MP returns to SNP fold after six month suspension

Neale Hanvey on the night of his election

Kirkcaldy MP, Neale Hanvey, has been re-admitted to the SNP after a suspension which lasted six months.

He formally returned to the fold - to the party and the Parliamentary group, who he sat next to at Westminster.

Mr Hanvey, who represents the Lang Toun and Cowdenbeath, was elected in December despite being dumped by the party just weeks before the ballot after he was accused of posting anti-Semitic content on social media.

The seat was high on the SNP’s target list, and it mean they went into the election without an official candidate, but were too late to remove Mr Hanvey’s name from pre-printed ballot papers.

He decided to stand as an independent and, with the backing of the Yes hub in Kirkcaldy, still defeated Lesley Laird, the sitting MP, to take his seat at Westminster.

Mr Hanvey was suspended from the party pending disciplinary action.

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It finally confirmed he was to complete an education course at a Holocaust centre, and meet with, and apologise to, Scotland’s Jewish community.

Mr Hanvey issued a full apology at the time and said he wanted to make amends for “these dreadful errors.”

This week he confirmed his spell on the sidelines was over, and he was back in the party.

Posting on his parliamentary Facebook page, he said: “The past six months has been a journey for me, and I am delighted to announce that I have been welcomed back into the SNP and the SNP parliamentary group this week.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported me through this challenging time, and to the Antisemitism Policy Trust for their engagement and guidance over the past few months.

I look forward to being part of the strong SNP representation in parliament as I continue my work as an MP standing up for my constituents and Scotland.”

Mr Hanvey is in the process of opening an office in the High Street. Work had been on-going to convert the old Early Learning Centre store into an office before the coronavirus lockdown.

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