Joanna Cherry has called on the SNP to renegotiate their coalition deal with the “totalitarian” Scottish Greens.
The MP is the latest senior figure in the SNP to question the Bute House Agreement. In recent days, former ministers Kate Forbes, Fergus Ewing and Alex Neil have all called for the 2021 pact to be looked at again.
Ms Cherry said there was an “appetite” to discuss the pact among party members.
The comments came during a wide-ranging interview at the Fringe, where Ms Cherry also revealed that she had threatened to sue her own party after attempts to stop her from speaking at a gender-critical event.
READ MORE: Joanna Cherry threatened to take legal action against SNP
She also savaged her Westminster colleague, Mhairi Black, saying the Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP was in the wrong job, and confirmed that she was still keen on moving from Westminster to Holyrood.
There was unprecedented security for a daytime Fringe event, with audience members being scanned and forbidden from taking bags into the venue. Nobody was allowed to buy alcohol.
In the end, there were no protests.
At one point a smoke machine started, causing some anxiety in the audience. However, those involved with the show thought it was an accident rather than deliberate.
The show was cancelled earlier this year after a number of "key operational staff, including venue management and box office personnel" said they were unwilling to work on the event because of “concerns about Ms Cherry's views.”
The decision sparked a furious row, with supporters of the Edinburgh South West MP, criticising the comedy club.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling, suggested the politician was the victim of “modern McCarthyism.”
Others defended the venue, with trade union Unite praising the club for listening to the "legitimate and serious concerns of our members."
However, the club, which was founded by one of Ms Cherry’s parliamentary colleagues, Tommy Sheppard, later reversed its decision admitting that it constituted “unlawful discrimination”.
READ MORE: Unprecedented security for Joanna Cherry's Fringe show
More than 260 people filled the New Town Theatre for the event, giving the politician a rapturous welcome.
Taking questions from the crowd, Ms Cherry was asked if she thought the SNP’s agreement with the Scottish Greens should be renegotiated.
“Yes,” she replied. “I voted against the agreement with the Greens and I'll tell you why I voted against it, because I think the Scottish Greens have become a totalitarian party.”
She added: “The best and most decent and most thoughtful parliamentarian they've ever had, Andy Wightman, was drummed out. “Some of their parliamentarians have behaved in a disgraceful way towards women, and there's a feeling that the tail is wagging the dog in Holyrood.
“The SNP have a huge mandate, the Greens don’t.”
“Ultimately, it’s up to the SNP to decide whether or not we stay in coalition with them but I think it’s something we should discuss as a party and I think there is an appetite to discuss it.
“Perhaps the bigger question is why do we fear debate? Why are we afraid of reviewing of an arrangement that should perhaps be terminated or maybe made better?”
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