Nicola Sturgeon insists SNP is not in a mess: ‘We’re suffering some growing pains’

Calls for rerun of leadership contest after ‘tremendous mess’ over figures showing membership fell some 30 per cent in just over a year

Nicola Sturgeon has blamed “growing pains” for the SNP’s current woes and insisted her party “is not in a mess”, as a row over the size of its membership cast the contest to replace her into disarray.

Scotland’s ruling party is reeling from a number of blows, including the dramatic resignations of SNP chief executive Peter Murrell – Ms Sturgeon’s husband – and media chief Murray Foote, amid controversy over membership numbers.

After all three candidates vying to replace Ms Sturgeon called for transparency, the figures were finally revealed on Thursday, showing that the party faithful had fallen by about 30,000 in just over a year, to just over 72,000 members.