ASH, BANG WALLOP

THE SNP: MY PART IN THEIR DOWNFALL

- PAUL HUTCHEON

FORMER SNP minister Ash Regan claims she was responsible for toppling the party's power couple.

Regan, now fighting for the leadership of the breakaway Alba party, said her resignation from government over Nicola Sturgeon's gender reform plans sparked her downfall.

And she says her questions about a cover-up on SNP membership figures led to the demise of Sturgeon's husband and former SNP party boss Peter Murrell.

The MSP also said her rival for the Alba crown, Kenny MacAskill, found it hard to "cut through" when he was an MP as she laid out her credentials to lead the party.

Regan was Sturgeon's community safety minister before quitting in 2022 in protest at plans for gender self-ID for trans people.

She unsuccessfully stood for the SNP leadership when Sturgeon quit months later and eventually defected to the pro-independence Alba.

She is now a candidate in the race to become Alba leader after Alex Salmond died of a heart attack.

In an interview with the Record, Regan said being Alba's only parliamentarian would be a huge advantage as leader.

"If you are in the Scottish Parliament, you have the ability to set the political weather," she said.

"It's almost impossible to do that if you are not elected. You do not have that platform and you are not in the Scottish Parliament"

Regan is also running on her record and is claiming three major political scalps.

She said of quitting as a minister: "I would argue that my resignation from government was the beginning of the end for Nicola Sturgeon's reign."

Asked if her quitting was the turning point for Sturgeon, she said: "Absolutely. She only lasted another four months after that. I resigned at the end of October and she announced her intention to go by mid February.