Veteran MSP suspended from SNP following party vote
Fergus Ewing has been an outspoken critic of the party's leadership in the past year.
Veteran MSP Fergus Ewing has been suspended from the SNP for a week.
The Inverness and Nairn MSP - the son of the late SNP trailblazer Winnie Ewing - has been an outspoken critic of the party's leadership in the past year.
The former rural affairs secretary has publicly objected to a number of policies, most notably plans for highly protected marine areas, the deposit return scheme and the Scottish Government's deal with the Scottish Greens.
Before the summer recess, Mr Ewing voted with the opposition in favour of a motion of no confidence in Green co-leader and Government minister Lorna Slater.
In a party gathering on Wednesday evening, 48 MSPs - minus First Minister Humza Yousaf who returned home due to illness - backed the one-week suspension, which will see the MSP sit as an independent for the duration.
Nine of his colleagues voted against the sanction and four abstained.
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