EXCLUSIVE: SNP by-election candidate Katy Loudon backed campaign to have trans-sceptic MP Joanna Cherry booted out of the party

• Loudon supported activists who targeted ex-frontbencher in November 2021
• They demanded she face disciplinary action, including losing SNP whip

The SNP candidate in the upcoming Rutherglen by-election backed a grassroots campaign to have a senior MP kicked out of the party in a row over trans rights, MailOnline can reveal.

Katy Loudon supported activists who targeted Joanna Cherry, a former Westminster frontbencher, in November 2021 over comments she made about conversion therapy. 

Ms Cherry, a former SNP home affairs spokeswoman, said she opposed the  discredited treatment but warned any tightening of the law should not ‘criminalise’ therapists simply trying to ‘help patients with gender dysphoria to feel comfortable in their birth sex’. 

She was targeted by groups including SNP Students and the party’s official LGBT organisation, Out For Independence. who demanded disciplinary action against her and any party member deemed guilty of transphobia. Ms Cherry vehemently denies being transphobic.

Their ultimately unsuccessful campaign was backed by the SNP branch in Rutherglen and Cambuslang, which posted in support on Facebook. An account named ‘Katy Loudon’ was among those who ‘liked’ the post.

The SNP did not deny that the account belonged to its candidate when approached by MailOnline.

Ms Loudon, a local councillor, was also reported at the time to have supported it on Twitter, although the tweet now seems to have disappeared.

Scottish Conservative Deputy Leader Meghan Gallacher said: ‘Eyebrows will be raised among the public that the SNP are clearly happy to have a candidate who called for the whip to be removed from someone she could be working alongside in a matter of weeks.’

Katy Loudon supported activists who targeted Joanna Cherry, a former Westminster frontbencher, in November 2021 over comments she made about conversion therapy.

Ms Cherry (top), a former SNP home affairs spokeswoman, said she opposed the discredited treatment but warned any tightening of the law should not ‘criminalise’ therapists simply trying to ‘help patients with gender dysphoria to feel comfortable in their birth sex’.

She was targeted by groups including SNP Students and the party’s official LGBT organisation, Out For Independence. who demanded disciplinary action against her and any party member deemed guilty of transphobia.

Their campaign was backed by the SNP branch in Rutherglen and Cambuslang, which posted in support on Facebook. An account named ‘Katy Loudon’ was among those who ‘liked’ the post.

‘The SNP are engulfed by chaos and are fighting like Nats in a sack both at Westminster and Holyrood. If voters in Rutherglen and Hamilton West put their trust in Katy Loudon, then those issues are only likely to heighten for Humza Yousaf.

‘Rather than focusing on Scotland’s real priorities, the SNP are distracted by their own civil war.

‘Only the Scottish Conservatives are focused on Scotland’s real priorities such as the cost-of-living crisis, fixing our NHS and strengthening our economy.’

The SNP has been riven by a furious row over transgender rights. Under Nicola Sturgeon it passed the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which would reduce the age at which teens could legally alter their gender from 18 to 16. 

However it has been blocked from becoming law by Rishi Sunak’s Government under devolved powers. 

Ms Cherry, who is a lesbian, has been a leading critical voice criticising the party’s position and its support for making it easier for people to self-identify as a different gender to that they were born into. 

The issue has threatened to tear apart the SNP with thousands of members resigning their memberships over the issue. 

Earlier this year in the leadership election, both Ash Regan and Kate Forbes ran vowing to scrap the GRRA, but were defeated by Nicola Sturgeon ally Humza Yousaf.

In November 2021, Ms Cherry had tweeted in response to a plan by Boris Johnson to review conversion therapy laws.

She wrote: ‘It’s very concerning that the PM is only getting the view of Stonewall on the clash between sex-based rights and those based on gender identity. All policy makers should hear the range of opinions on the debate around gender identity. 

‘And re conversion therapy, which any right thinking person should oppose, we must not make it a criminal offence for therapists to try to help patients with gender dysphoria to feel comfortable in their birth sex.  As we used to say #Somepeoplearegay #GetoverIt.’

It provoked an angry backlash from several groups in the SNP who called for her to face disciplinary action and even lose the party whip at Westminster.

The Rutherglen and Cambuslang branch publicly endorsed the attack on Ms Cherry. In a Facebook post it said it ’embraces the SNP policy of inclusiveness’ and backed OFI and Young Scots for Independence (YSI) who spoke out against her.

YSI had called for ‘disciplinary action against any member, including elected representatives, who advocate for conversion therapy against young trans people’.

The SNP did not deny Ms Loudon supported the campaign against Ms Cherry when asked by MailOnline.   

In response to our questions, including whether she still believed the MP should lose the whip, an SNP spokeswoman said: ‘Katy’s clear priority is to be a strong voice for people in Rutherglen and Hamilton West as their SNP MP, who will do everything she can to help them through Westminster’s cost of living crisis and create a fair and equal country.’ 

Ms Cherry declined to comment. 

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