An MP who defected from the SNP to the Tories has claimed she and her family have had to go into hiding because of threats of violence.
In her first interview with the media since news broke that Dr Lisa Cameron had left the SNP to join the Conservatives, the MP said she had to move out of her home after she was threatened with being “bricked in the street”.
Dr Cameron told the The Times she had received a “torrent of abuse” in emails since news of her defection broke on Thursday (October 12).
The MP left the SNP ahead of a selection meeting to pick the next candidate for the East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow constituency.
She has represented the area since the 2015 General Election when the SNP won 56 seats out of 59 in Scotland.
Dr Cameron faced a challenge in her seat from SNP staffer Grant Costello, who was supported by both Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie and current and former East Kilbride MSPs Collette Stevenson and Linda Fabiani.
The outcome of the selection was due to be announced on Thursday, hours after Dr Cameron revealed she would leave the party.
The Times reported some of the threats she received included: “I hope someone throws a brick at you in the street”.
Others read, “I hope you burn” and, “Think your mental health is bad now – wait until you see what abuse and nastiness you’re going to have to put up with”.
Dr Cameron told the newspaper the threats were “where the political discourse has got to in Scotland”.
She said: “We have had a lot of personal threats. Aggression, violence and anger are coupled on to the debate about nationalism.”
The former NHS clinical psychologist said she felt “isolated” within the SNP’s Westminster group and there was a lot of “fear and intimidation”.
Dr Cameron said she was prescribed antidepressants and underwent counselling as a result of the treatment she claims to have received during her time within the party.
On choosing the Conservatives, Dr Cameron said she felt her views would not be welcomed in the Labour Party.
She is a member of the Free Church of Scotland. The MP has also changed her view on independence and said she no longer felt the Scottish government was being run competently.
Dr Cameron’s claims have been dismissed by senior SNP figures, including the party’s president Mike Russell.
He told BBC’s Good Morning Scotland that her claims were “unsubstantiated”.
He said: “What the SNP needs to do is focus on the big issues in Scotland, not what seems to be a rather odd tantrum from somebody who was going to lose their nomination.”
The defection was also downplayed by First Minister and SNP leader Humza Yousaf.
He said constituents would be “deeply let down” by her actions and that she should “do the honourable thing” and stand down.
