Chris McEleny 'sacked from Alba and having membership reviewed', acting leader says

CHRIS McEleny has been fired from Alba and is having his membership of the party reviewed, acting leader Kenny MacAskill has said.

Speaking to Sky News, MacAskill said that McEleny – who served as Alba’s general secretary for the entirety of Alex Salmond’s leadership – had been “dismissed on gross misconduct and his membership of the party will be considered”.

"The NEC has terminated his employment, and he has been notified of his dismissal for gross misconduct,” MacAskill added.

McEleny had been suspended from his paid party position earlier in February, reports said. 

A former Scottish justice secretary, MacAskill defected from the SNP to Alba while still an MP and is now bidding to lead the party.

Standing against him is Ash Regan, an MSP who also defected from the SNP to Alba.

McEleny had aimed to stand for depute leader, against former MP Neale Hanvey.

The ongoing leadership race, which was sparked by Salmond’s sudden death in October last year, had seen MacAskill accused of bullying and harassment.

However, the acting leader quickly hit back, saying there had been “an unauthorised and unconstitutional attempt was made to allegedly suspend me, Kenny MacAskill, by an individual acting outwith the limits of their powers”.

“The attempt was firmly rebutted by the [national executive committee] and the matter is now being dealt with internally,” he previously told The National.

Asked by Sky News if he was a bully, MacAskill said: "No.”

The acting Alba leader further said: "At the time of Alex's death, I required to speak to him on behalf of the [Salmond] family because he was making comments.

“I had to tell him not to speak to the media in relation to the death of Alex Salmond."

McEleny said he would appeal against the decision to sack him and that he maintains that he was bullied.

"I think Kenny is going to look back in the near future and regret some of the actions of the previous months," he told Sky.

Alba members have been keen to claim that they speak for the late Alex Salmond (Image: PA) "Alex Salmond used to always tell me that in a political party rational people need to bump along with each other.

"Sadly we have not seen people bumping along with each other when either means they have not been acting rationally, or it means they are not in a position that they are fit to lead a political party."

Also speaking to Sky, Regan criticised MacAskill’s handling of the party during the past months.

"It has allowed the party to drift,” she said. “We are leaderless and it is descending in to a little bit of chaos right now."