SNP MSP Fergus Ewing is set to face disciplinary action for voting against Scottish Government Green minister Lorna Slater.
Former frontbencher Ewing is expected to lose the party whip for a set time as the decision is made at a meeting of SNP MSPs next Wednesday.
Earlier this year, Ewing voted against the Government as the opposition mounted a no-confidence bid against Slater (below). He has described the Greens – his party’s co-operation agreement partners – as “extremist”.
Ewing has also been an outspoken critic of the Scottish Government’s approach to Highly Protected Marine Areas, the Gender Recognition Reform Bill and the slow progress on dualling the A9.
Just this week he once again voted against the Government as he backed opposition parties in a bid to delay the short-term lets licensing scheme.
Ewing was rumoured to lose the whip earlier this summer, but the timing coincided with the death of his mother Winnie – a legendary figure in pro-independence politics.
Last week, the Times reported that Ewing would be facing the removal of the whip over the rebellions. However, Deputy First Minister Shona Robison would not be drawn on the issue during an appearance on BBC Scotland’s Sunday show.
“I’m not going to discuss somebody’s situation or the difficult issues someone has to wrestle with. The group will make that decision,” she said.
The BBC reports that MSPs have been advised the vote on Ewing’s disciplinary action will be under a three-line whip, meaning they must attend the meeting but will not be told how to vote on any proposed sanction.
Ewing is set to make an appearance on Alex Salmond's social media show on Thursday night, again attacking the two parties governing Scotland.
"You're right many of the bad policies have come from the Greens," Ewing is expected to tell the programme, which will focus on the economy.
"To quote their former leader Robin Harper, he said they've 'lost the plot'. I'm not sure if that's being too kind to them, I'm not sure they ever possessed the plot in the first place in order to mislay it."
He went on: "But seriously, even the staunchest critic of the extremist Greens, like me, wouldn't say that it's all their fault. I do think that the Scottish Government should be supporting industry, we should be praising our brilliant sectors, in finance, in oil and gas for which we'll need for decades to come, in renewables, in life sciences, in food and drink.
"That's what we used to do, if you don't mind me saying so, when you [Salmond] were the boss."
