Alba Party general secretary Chris McEleny suspended

Alba Party general secretary Chris McEleny has been suspended over allegations of "gross misconduct", it has emerged.

The news comes as the party tries to determine a successor to Alex Salmond, whose death in October has led to a leadership contest.

McEleny announced he would step down as general secretary to allow the new leader to "run the party differently".

Ash Regan, the party's sole MSP, and former MP Kenny MacAskill have emerged as contenders.

The Scotsman reported that McEleny has been suspended and is not acting as general secretary, with disciplinary procedures under way.

It is claimed that the gross misconduct included giving the "false and unsupported impression" that Alba supported a Scottish Conservatives objection to free bus travel for asylum seekers.

It is also said to include the issue of a press release suggesting support for Donald Trump if that meant bringing an economic boost to the west of Scotland.

The actions are said to have "injured the party's reputation".

An Alba source told the paper it is the second suspension levied against McEleny, from Inverclyde, in the space of two months, with the first week-long period handed down in early January.

A source close to McEleny said he "neither spoke against or for free bus travel for asylum seekers" but said "it was not racist to discuss the merits of the policy", and his position on Trump is "very much in line with every world leader".

The source said: "The absurdity of these issues shows that there is a clear and coordinated attempt to remove Mr McEleny - Alex Salmond’s closest ally over the past years, who along with a handful of others built the Alba Party up to the verge of a Holyrood breakthrough - from his role ahead of the upcoming Alba leadership election."

The news follows reports that McEleny attempted to have MacAskill suspended amidst "bullying and harassment" claims.

According to The National, McEleny emailed senior Alba members to inform them of the allegations.

MacAskill said he had successfully challenged a ban on attending party meetings while an investigation took place.

He told the paper that the suspension attempt was "unauthorised and unconstitutional" and made by "an individual acting outwith the limits of their powers".

On McEleny's suspension, he said: "There are ongoing internal disciplinary procedures underway and we do not comment on that."