An SNP minister criticised Scottish government colleagues and branded the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee “royalist b*****ks” in a series of leaked WhatsApp messages.
Elena Whitham also hit out at her party’s handling of harassment allegations against SNP MP Patrick Grady and mocked opposition MSPs.
The messages leaked to the Daily Record have been seized upon by political opponents who said the SNP is in “disarray”.
Ms Whitham has since apologised and said the comments were “not acceptable”.
In the WhatsApps, she described Humza Yousaf’s deputy Shona Robison as a “cold fish” and “painful to listen to”.
Meanwhile, she said “the ego has landed” and used a rolling eye emoji when SNP MSP Angus Robertson was handed a cabinet job.
She also took aim at the SNP’s handling of a harassment complaint against Mr Grady, asking “why are we supporting Grady?” and “why didn’t we act?”
At a Holyrood debate on the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the SNP MSP wrote: “Give me strength to get through this royalist b*****ks.”
Ms Whitham was also scathing about opposition MSPs, branding Tory Brian Whittle a “p***k”.
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “What these leaks go to show is that the SNP is in disarray – with a Scottish Government minister slagging off colleagues right, left and centre.
“The fact is that this is a party out of ideas, out of control and out of time.
“Ms Whitham is right to question why her party closed ranks around the disgraced Patrick Grady when he was accused of sexual misconduct. It’s clear for all to see that Ms Whitham does not hold the Deputy First Minister in high regard and views Angus Robertson as an egotist.
“The wheels have come off the SNP bus and Humza Yousaf is completely out of his depth. The people of Scotland need a government focussed on their priorities – the NHS, tackling the cost of living crisis and growing the economy.”
Scottish Conservative Chairman Craig Hoy added that the leaked messages “sum up the chaos that is now engulfing the SNP”.
Mr Hoy said: “They are fighting like Nats in a sack, with another SNP representative happy to undermine their ministerial colleagues.
“The feuds among the SNP are becoming increasingly bitter and the party looks deeply divided.
“Humza Yousaf clearly doesn’t have the leadership authority to crack down on these disputes, otherwise these eye-opening messages would never have seen the light of day.
“As the SNP spend more time throwing insults at each other – as well as her late majesty and one of my colleagues in Elena Whitham’s case – the real priorities of Scotland are being completely ignored.
“Only the Scottish Conservatives are focused on those real priorities such as the cost-of-living crisis and fixing our NHS, rather than tearing ourselves apart like the SNP are.”
Ms Whitham said: “These comments were not acceptable and I apologise sincerely.”
