John Swinney has been warned he faces the “conference from hell” with party members "furious" over Angus Robertson’s meeting with an Israeli diplomat. Calls for the First Minister to sack his Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs have only intensified over the weekend. SNP MSP Ruth Maguire told The Herald that Mr Robertson had allowed himself to “appear to legitimise a genocidal, apartheid regime who continue to commit war crimes.
” Another MSP said it was an “avoidable misstep that has cost us our principled position on Palestine and a not insignificant amount of members.” However, there was some support for the beleaguered Edinburgh Central MSP, with Stewart McDonald, the party's former defence spokesman, saying that the Scottish Government was right to have taken the meeting. READ MORE: John Mason has SNP whip withdrawn after Gaza comment Swinney faces demands to sack Robertson as SNP fury grows Angus Robertson a 'liability' warns SNP MSP The party is due to gather in the capital at the end of the month for their annual conference.
It is thought members will bring emergency resolutions to force a debate on the situation in Gaza which would then allow them to talk about Mr Robertson. The conference is also due to start with an internal session to discuss the party’s poor result at the general election . One source said it was likely members would express their views on the talks then.
“Unless John wants the conference from hell, in less than a fortnight, he’ll ask Angus to resign,” they said. “The membership is furious.” They added: “Angus has been totally out of his depth, to say the least in his external affairs role.
On Gaza, he’s been the invisible man. And he’s been jetting off to China in another tone-deaf meeting “There’s a strong feeling in the party that we can’t afford these self-inflicted f***-ups. “Since Nicola left, as with the Matheson affair, no one gets the instant sack when they’ve done something wrong.
” However, the difficulty for the SNP leader — who has already defended his cabinet colleague — is that he instructed Mr Robertson to meet with Daniela Grudsky Ekstein, Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UK. The Sunday Mail reported that the First Minister had also been invited to the meeting with the diplomat but sent an “engagement request” to Mr Robertson’s office, asking that he go instead. One SNP source told the paper: “Angus has been asked to go on John’s behalf.
If you get a request from the FM’s office to attend an engagement, you don’t say no. You have to go. “So if John did what people are asking for and sacked Angus, he would have to resign.
” Details of the summit with the Deputy Ambassador emerged last weekend when the diplomat publicly thanked Mr Robertson on social media for “welcoming us to wonderful Scotland .” She added: “Discussed the unique commonalities between Israel and Scotland and also emphasized the urgent need to bring back our 115 hostages. “Looking forward to cooperating in the fields of technology, culture and renewable energy.
” Thank you @AngusRobertson for welcoming us to wonderful Scotland. Discussed the unique commonalities between 🇮🇱-🏴 and also emphasized the urgent need to bring back our 115 hostages. Looking forward to cooperating in the fields of technology, culture and renewable energy.
pic.twitter.com/sh2KeqRa9j — Daniela Grudsky (@DanielaGrudsky) August 12, 2024 Ms Maguire told The Herald: “I understand the responsibility of governments to foster good international relations and appreciate that diplomatic meetings can offer the opportunity to raise issues of concern.
“However, I share in the anger, hurt, frustration and frankly embarrassment felt by many party members that a Scottish Government cabinet secretary has allowed themselves to appear to legitimise a genocidal, apartheid regime who continue to commit war crimes.” Another MSP said: “I think this is an avoidable misstep that has cost us our principled position on Palestine and a not insignificant amount of members. “Whilst diplomacy is held dear, there is no diplomacy when it comes to dealing with genocide and the Scottish Government should have understood this and declined the invitation reminding them of our demand for an immediate ceasefire.
“Members and elected SNP representatives are asking themselves how we have gone from leading the call for an end to the destruction of Gaza to discussing shared culture with Israelis who then control the narrative via their media comms.” In a letter to John Swinney, Christine Grahame said her constituents were “shocked” at the meeting. “I have long considered [Angus Robertson] a luxury the front bench does not need.
He is now, in my view, a liability.” The SNP Friends of Palestine group — which is convened by the wife of former first minister Humza Yousaf, Nadia El-Nakla — has also spoken out. Dr Phillipa Whitford, the former SNP MP who has worked in Gaza, told The Herald it would be wrong to describe this as a split in the party.
“I believe the majority of members will have a similar view,” she said. “It can clearly be argued that meeting with people you totally disagree with is part of the work of diplomacy but the focus of any such meeting should be very clear. “This would include re-stating the views of the Scottish Government against the collective punishment, slaughter and starvation of civilians in Gaza and need for an immediate ceasefire.
“It could also legitimately include discussing the rise of antisemitism and the need to protect the safety of the Jewish Community in Scotland. “However I find it hard to understand discussions about ‘shared interests, trade and culture’ at this time, or the taking of cosy photographs at any such meeting when the registered deaths in Gaza has passed 40,000, with many more suspected to be buried under the rubble.” Taking to X, Mr McDonald warned his party against making "a conflict in the Middle East about ourselves.
" "Should Angus have taken the meeting? Yes. Should there have been discussion about collaboration etc? No. Not in the current climate.
"An agenda that was about a ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages, a two-state solution and upholding international humanitarian law should’ve been set beforehand. We are in danger of creating a circular firing squad and, whilst there are undoubtedly things that could and should have been handled better, we’ve managed to make a conflict in the Middle East about ourselves. That’s never a good place to be and, to me, it’s actually the most.
.. — Stewart McDonald (@StewartMcDonald) August 18, 2024 "A photo with a smiling envoy was a mistake - and an unusual one for someone as experienced as Angus.
"As was allowing the embassy to break news of the meeting and what was discussed. But this is what embassies do: they want to show their domestic audience that they’re engaging internationally on friendly terms." Mr McDonald said engagement was "fundamental to diplomacy.
" "And if we’re not engaged in diplomacy then we’re just not serious. It’s as simple as that. It is the Scottish Government’s job to be engaged, but on proper terms - and that’s what should’ve happened here.
" Another SNP source said it was hard to see why Mr Robertson needed to leave government. "I think there's understandable anger about this happening—why it happened, how it was presented. But I don't see what the resignation issue is here.
"Is it simply a presentational one?" They added: “The UK's got diplomatic relationships with some really unpleasant administrations. So do you start differentiating? That's where you actually start to develop a distinctive foreign policy. "I’m a member of the SNP, I would be quite happy with that but it really would stretch the devolution settlement not to mention the limited support the SG has for international engagement.
" A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The deputy ambassador originally requested meetings with several ministers, including the First Minister. “It is not customary protocol for a First Minister to engage with diplomats at the level of deputy ambassador. “The Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs represents all portfolios externally and sees diplomats as a core function of his role.
As such, he undertook this meeting.”.
