Defeated SNP MP Joanna Cherry slams Nicola Sturgeon's push for gender recognition reform as the party begins blame game for their 'cataclysmic' election night which saw them drop from 48 seats to just 9

The defeated SNP MP Joanna Cherry has slammed Nicola Sturgeon's push for gender recognition reform as the reason for the parties dismal election performance.

Ms Cherry,a high-profile Scottish politician not shy of challenging her party's belief on trans orthodoxy,was one of Thursday night's shock losers as the SNP's Westminster numbers were devastated. 

Her seat in Edinburgh South West saw a 23 per cent swing to Labour on a night when the SNP dropped from 48 seats to just nine.

She has blamed her party's former leader Sturgeon's focus on 'identity politics' as one of the reasons for the rout.

The campaigner for women's rights,who is friendly with JK Rowling,said she was aware from voters that the SNP had 'taken its eye off the ball on big issues'.

In October 2022 JK Rowling shared a picture wearing a t-shirt with the message 'Nicola Sturgeon,destroyer of women's rights 

Meanwhile after accepting the SNP's emphatic defeat meant independence was now 'a very hard sell',Mr Swinney said: 'Polls still show about half the population want our country to be independent,but that has not manifested itself in the election results.

It now faces a battle to hold onto power at the next Holyrood election in 2026 after Labour's vote soared in Scotland.

Former MP Mhairi Black,who stood down at the election,said: 'What was expected to be a difficult night for the SNP now looks set to be cataclysmic.

'Blaming voters,or doing anything other than serious self-reflection,is precisely the kind of attitude that has turned so many away from the SNP.'

Former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford admitted that voters have 'fallen out of love' with the party. 

The SNP will fall behind the Lib Dems and be the fourth biggest party in the Commons,which could result in it losing £1million of public 'short money' handed to opposition parties – piling pressure on its finances after donations dried up.

Joanna CherryNicola SturgeonLabourSNPITV