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SNP's media chief resigns over membership dispute SNP media chief Murray Foote resigns over membership dispute
(32 minutes later)
The SNP's media chief Murray Foote has resigned after the party denied its membership had dropped by 30,000. Murray Foote said he had issued agreed party responses to the media
Mr Foote said he had issued agreed party responses to the media which "created a serious impediment" to his role. The SNP's media chief has resigned in a row over the party's membership numbers - after it denied the figure had dropped by 30,000.
Ash Regan and Kate Forbes recently demanded to know how many members were eligible to vote in a row over the integrity of the leadership race. Murray Foote had described press reports about the numbers last month as "inaccurate" and "drivel".
The party initially refused to do so, then confirmed it has 72,186 members. The SNP confirmed yesterday that membership had fallen to 72,186 from the 104,000 it had two years ago.
This was a drop of 32,000 since December 2021. Mr Foote said he issued agreed party responses to the media which "created a serious impediment" to his role.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. SNP leadership candidates Ash Regan and Kate Forbes this week demanded to know how many members were eligible to vote in a row over the integrity of the contest.
You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts. The party initially refused to do so, then confirmed there was a drop of 32,000 since December 2021.
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Last month the Sunday Mail - where Mr Foote was formerly editor in chief - reported the SNP had lost 30,000 members, which the party said was "not just wrong, it's wrong by about 30,000".
Mr Foote tweeted: "Acting in good faith and as a courtesy to colleagues at party HQ, I issued agreed party responses to media inquiries regarding membership.
"It has subsequently become apparent there are serious issues with these responses.
"Consequently, I concluded this created a serous impediment to my role and I resigned my position with the SNP group at Holyrood."
Leadership candidates Kate Forbes and Ash Regan
A spokesperson for the SNP said: "We are disappointed and saddened that Murray felt the need to take this decision.
"He has been a great colleague over the past few years, and we wish well him for whatever he decides to do next."
The SNP's membership hit a peak of 125,000 in 2019 as support for the party surged in the wake of the independence referendum but had dropped to 85,000 by the end of last year.
That suggests a drop of 12,000 inside a matter of months.
After the most recent membership figures were released, Kate Forbes' campaign manager, Michelle Thomson MSP, said she was pleased that "common sense has prevailed" - but that the "alarming drop in members shows that the party needs a change in direction".
Ash Regan's campaign linked the decline to the Scottish government's controversial gender recognition reforms while the party's president Mike Russell suggested cost of living pressures could offer an alternative explanation.
The third candidate in the contest, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf, said his two rivals had produced no tangible evidence that would throw the integrity of the election process into question.