Our Politics newsletter is now daily. Join thousands of others and get the latest Scottish politics news sent straight to your inbox. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A notorious SNP councillor who caused a scandal by burning the Smith Commission report has slammed his colleagues for caring more about their local community than the fight for independence.

An explosive email leaked to the Daily Record show Will Mylet ridiculed his colleagues in the nationalists’ Renfrewshire Council group for working to help their “own wee area” rather than furthering the cause of Scotland’s “freedom”

The rant - sent just five days after Scots had decisively rejected independence in last year’s referendum - is sure to anger Paisley residents blighted by a range of social and economic problems.

It also lays bare a bitter turf war between more moderate members of the SNP’s most controversial council group and pro-independence hardliners.

Mylet made headlines across Scotland last year when he was among a group of councillors who filmed themselves burning the Smith Commission report on more powers and posted the video on the internet.

But the Daily Record can today reveal he had earlier caused chaos in his own SNP branch with a fierce attack on other councillors he suggested were not committed enough to the cause.

Labour last night seized on the leaked emails as proof the SNP are only interested in independence.

The angry email exchange took place after the first SNP Renfrewshire Council group meeting held after the referendum descended into chaos.

The Record understands the 14 councillors in the group were split between those who wanted to focus on local issues causing problems in Renfrewshire and those who wanted to continue to focus on independence at the expense of everything else.

Later that night one councillor, Stephen McGee, emailed the entire group to note he was “extremely embarrassed by the conduct and management of the group”.

He added: “After all the issues that we have went through over the last year and a half, frankly I have better things to do with my time that watch our group implode in on itself.”

But his email received a furious response from Mylet early the next morning.

The Paisley East and Ralston councillor attacked McGee and another SNP councillor, Andy Doig, for drafting motions for the next Renfrewshire Council meeting which they thought would help the area.

“Whilst Andy was looking desperately for any motion for his own wee area I was arranging a street stall to continue the campaign for independence,” he wrote.

“I do not want to be an old man and the rest of the current group in their graves before Scotland gets another chance of freedom.

“If that doesn’t get you going enough then remember these famous words: ‘Whats [sic] that got to do with independence’.”

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

And in further comments that will heap more embarrassment on the party, Mylet also:

• Branded local SNP MSP George Adam the “alleged MSP for Paisley”

• Attacked McGee for being “spineless” for raising concerns about the council group

• Suggested Doig is “lazy” and took too much “time off” during the referendum campaign

Labour’s Renfrewshire South MSP Hugh Henry said: “Now we can see why these councillors were such an embarrassment to the SNP.

“Judging by these comments the councillors clearly loathe each other but what is worse is the contempt being shown for the democratic decision of the people of Scotland.

“The refusal by Councillor Mylet to accept the referendum result shows why he and his colleagues took the extreme action of burning the copy of the Smith Agreement report.

“There’s a clear split in the local SNP group with the fundamentalists like Councillor Mylet dominating their fellow members and being more interested in pursuing narrow nationalism than serving the people who elected them.”

But Mylet defended his comments and insisted they were merely “constructive criticism”.

“I think every single organisation or group have fall outs but it doesn’t last for long,” he told the Record. “It’s kind of like a family in that you have some cross words and then move on.”

Mylet made headlines in December, just days after the Smith Commission published its report on new powers for the Scottish ­Government in the wake of the No vote.

He was suspended by the SNP alongside fellow councillors Brian Lawson, Mags MacLaren and Kenny MacLaren after filming the insulting stunt and posting it online.

But last month we revealed that all four have been handed leadership positions in the party’s Renfrewshire Council group after a AGM.

We're testing a new site: This content is coming soon

Try our quick news quiz below: