THE senior STV journalist who was allegedly “gagged” by the SNP has resigned.

Digital politics and comment editor Stephen Daisley is to leave his job later this month.

Mr Daisley, who was with the broadcaster for five years, hopes to find work as a freelance writer.

Read more: Journalist 'gagged' by broadcaster after pressure from SNP

A friend said that he had felt “unsupported” by the management at STV.

His departure follows two SNP MPs complaining to his employer about his work, which often mocked the SNP and other parties, and STV then halting his articles on its website.

Pete Wishart, chair of the Commons Scottish Affairs Committee, told STV bosses last year that Mr Daisley’s output was “crap”, while culture spokesman John Nicolson complained about his social media activity.

Mr Daisley, who had written one or two comment pieces for the STV website each week from 2014 until they were terminated last July, was frequently controversial.

He called himself “a friend” of Labour, accused Jeremy Corbyn of supping with anti-Semites, and said the SNP was “expert at mining grievance from even the most innocuous act or statement” and had the “preponderance of zoomers” in Scottish politics.

The SNP MPs complained at an event held by STV managers at Westminster last spring.

Mr Wishart also criticised Mr Daisley on Twitter in June, asking whether his comments were his own view of “just the view of the ‘digital arm’ of the STV family?”

Read more: Journalist 'gagged' by broadcaster after pressure from SNP

That prompted Harry Potter author JK Rowling to ask Mr Wishart: “Is trying to intimidate journalists you dislike @theSNP policy or just a vendetta of your own?”

The following month, Mr Nicolson posted a dozen late-night tweets questioning Mr Daisley's ability and neutrality after he appeared to recommend an infamous Twitter account called Brian Spanner, which posted misogynist abuse of female politicians.

Mr Nicolson, a former BBC journalist, wrote: “[Daisley] is meant to be a neutral journalist - not an activist” and suggested Mr Daisley might be behind the Brian Spanner account.

When the Herald reported Mr Daisley’s articles had stopped, other parties accused the SNP of “gagging” him and criticised STV for “buckling to Nationalist pressure”.

Mr Wishart and Mr Nicolson subsequently confirmed on Twitter they had complained to STV.

Asked if he had mentioned Mr Daisley to STV bosses, Mr Wishart replied: “Yup. I think I also said his contributions were crap (or something like that). Said that because they mainly were.”

Asked the same point, Mr Nicolson replied: “Yes fleetingly - the issue of SD’s [Stephen Daisley’s] pro Spanner tweets and whether this was appropriate for an STV editor.”

STV, which at the time of the controversy said its output had “evolved”, has previously been accused of being too close to the SNP.

Read more: Journalist 'gagged' by broadcaster after pressure from SNP

Its Hogmanay show for 2015/16 featured Nicola Sturgeon, her sister and her mother as guests and was hosted by SNP supporter and independence campaigner Elaine C Smith.

It generated almost 100 complaints alleging political bias.

After the row over Mr Daisley last August, STV editor of news and current affairs Howard Simpson and digital editor Matt Roper both moved to BBC Scotland.

Writing in a newspaper yesterday about press regulation, Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said Mr Wishart and Mr Nicolson “should be thoroughly ashamed of their attempts to silence those in the media who dare to question the SNP”.

STV refused to go into the background to Mr Daisley’s departure, however a spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that Stephen has resigned.”

The SNP and Mr Daisley both declined to comment.