Humza Yousaf supporters tweeted Joanna Cherry to the SNP in a row

The MP – who is a prominent Ash Regan supporter – said she accidentally retweeted the Wings Over Scotland comment.

It has since been deleted.

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Mhairi Hunter, a former Glasgow councilor who works for outgoing First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, accused the MP of trying to “derail this leadership contest”.

“I see no other explanation for such arson. Suggest we don’t let them,” she added.

She said she had complained to National Secretary Lorna Finn.

I can only assume that Joanna Cherry wants to derail this leadership competition. Can’t see any other explanation for such arson. Suggest we won’t let them. File a complaint with Nat Sec if you are a member. I should. But let’s not get dragged into the gutter.

– Mhairi Hunter March 6, 2023

Earlier Monday, Mr Yousaf tweeted a commitment to ban conversion practices and enshrine LGBTQ+ rights in the constitution of an independent Scotland.

Wings Over Scotland claimed the SNP minister “wants to make gay and autistic children transgender, sterilize them and deprive them of sexual pleasure throughout their adult lives”.

Ms Cherry retweeted it, commenting: “Currently #LGBT rights are protected under the #EqualityAct along with gender rights, disabilities, religion and belief etc #indy Scotland.”

She then deleted that tweet and then shared Mr Yousaf’s original tweet with the same comment.

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A spokesman for Ms Cherry said: “Joanna was going to comment on a tweet by Humza Yousaf and made a mistake. She corrected this mistake.

“The only ones trying to derail competition are those trying to prevent open debate and a free and open exchange of views.

“Ms Hunter can lodge a complaint with the National Secretary if she so chooses. Joanna is still awaiting a response from the National Secretary to Joanna’s complaint in January 2021 about a defamatory letter about Joanna that Mhairi Hunter attended during the November 2020 NEC election.”

In a statement, Mr Yousaf did not criticize Ms Cherry directly but instead condemned Wings Over Scotland. He said: “The language used on the blog is discriminatory, hurtful and harmful to members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“Members of the trans community in particular are among the most vulnerable and marginalized individuals in our society and all politicians and commentators would think to remember that.

“As SNP leader and Scotland’s First Minister, I will protect our LGBTQ+ community and strengthen and celebrate their rights.”

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Responding to the Health Secretary’s comments, Stu Campbell, who runs Wings Over Scotland, said: “Humza Yousaf is a doubly good duck talker but he clearly has no idea what he means by ‘conversion therapy’.

“The report, prepared for the Scottish Government by a carefully selected group of trans activists and queer theorists, is a fast track to ‘transating’ every confused gay, autistic or problem child in Scotland.

“As absurd as it sounds, it makes it a criminal offense to find a possible answer to your child’s problems other than being trans.

“Of all the Scottish Government’s most disastrous pieces of legislation – the Named Person, Hate Crime Bill, Gender Recognition Reform Bill and Deposit Return Scheme – the ban on so-called ‘conversion therapy’ (actually just normal, responsible mental health care) has the potential to by far do that most damaging and destructive in young people’s lives.

“At a time when many governments around the world are pausing or reversing incredibly dangerous policies related to ‘gender’, it is criminally and appallingly reckless to do so, and no amount of empty slogans from Humza Yousaf will change that.”