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'.

She told the Observer newspaper: 'People have been getting more and more exasperated with us over a long period of time.'

The rebel added the party had 'lost our competence and there's a question mark over our integrity'.

The respected politician also said people felt like the SNP had 'dropped the ball' when it came to independence.

Although she called short of calling for current SNP leader John Swinney to be removed, she said he has not steadied the ship - instead claiming 'the ship has gone down'.

Ms Cherry's salvo is the latest broadside in the SNP blame game as now-jobless politicians question the election strategy adopted by the party's hierarchy. 

Voters turned against the SNP amid the continuing police probe into its funding and finances, which led to Ms Sturgeon's husband being charged in connection to the embezzlement of funds from the party. 

It has also faced criticism for controversies involving its MPs and its performance at Holyrood. 

After the result was announced, Ms Cherry appeared on the ITV election programme to give her analysis, with Nicola Sturgeon awkwardly sitting in the studio.

But the dismayed politician said: 'The party has to accept that the public are not interested in identity politics

'Yes they care about equality. We have equality for trans people in Scotland.

'So the SNP needs to move away from identity politics and acknowledge what it has done wrong and focus on the bread and butter issues.

'If Nicola Sturgeon had devoted half the energy that she devoted to calling lifelong feminists like me a transphobe and devoted half that energy to governing well then the SNP would not be facing a rout this evening.' 

When asked on the BBC who was responsible for her party's reputation taking a battering Ms Cherry replied: 'Clearly there's been a lot of criticism about the policy priorities that were followed under the leadership of Nicola Sturgeon.

'There was a huge focus on identity politics, to perhaps the detriment of the public's priorities. And I also feel clearly that some recent scandals have damaged the party's reputation.

'Integrity has been a big issue in this election and I personally believe that integrity is very important in politics, and I think the public do as well.'

Pressed on Ms Sturgeon saying it had been a grim night for the SNP, Ms Cherry said: 'Well, I think the failure to advance the cause of independence and the loss of focus on the public's priorities happened under her watch, so I think she has to take her share of the blame.

'The blame shouldn't fall all on one person, but it certainly shouldn't be entirely directed at those who were left holding the baby when she suddenly resigned a year and a half ago.'

When asked questions on ITV during election night, Ms Cherry said: 'Those of us in party who argued in Westminster for different strategy during Brexit, our suggestions were not well received.

'There was lack of debate, under Nicola's and Ian Blackford's leadership at Westminster.

'The style of leadership that didn't broker discussion, debate or argument.'

Ms Sturgeon said that no one should be surprised by Ms Cherry’s criticism, but said the former MP had been re-elected three times under her leadership. 

She claimed she had tried 'very hard' to progress independence but said Westminster had a 'undemocratic veto'.

The former leader added: 'I delivered three general election victories, of course, I take responsibility for where the party is now. For anybody to take refuge in somehow it’s all my fault, would be taking the easy solution or response to this result.'  

The SNP has been in hot water over its plans to pass gender self-ID plans at the Scottish Parliament. 

The controversial laws, which would have made it simpler for trans people to legally change their sex without the need for a medical sign-off, were backed by MSPs but then blocked by UK ministers. 

SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf took the UK government to court over its decision but was defeated when judges ruled against him in December. 

The new laws gathered national attention last year after high profile cases such as transgender rapist Isla Bryson, previously known as Adam Graham, was placed into a female prison.

The case drew backlash from across Scotland, with activists and celebrities such as JK Rowling slamming the move.

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.