Nicola Sturgeon faces a growing rebellion over her leadership style that is expected to involve Alex Salmond being readmitted to the Scottish National party next year. More than 20 activists, councillors and MPs critical of Sturgeon’s leadership and her policies on independence, the economy and transgender rights were elected last week to the party’s national executive as office bearers and ruling committees, to the shock of party leaders. Numerous sources in the SNP, including those involved with the national executive committee (NEC), believe their election will lead to a number of overt and more subtle challenges to the first minister and party policies before next May’s election. They are expected to include supporting Salmond’s return to the SNP; pressing for the party to legally challenge the UK government if it blocks a second independence referendum; and helping candidates critical of party leaders win prominent positions in the list rankings for the Holyrood election. For the first time in recent SNP history, two groups put up organised lists of candidates – the SNP Common Weal group, a coalition of leftwing activists who accuse Sturgeon of over-centralising power, and Women’s Pledge, senior figures critical of official policy on gender recognition. Their gains caused consternation among prominent supporters of Sturgeon’s leadership, who believe some rebels are using the row over transgender rights to undermine her authority, ignoring her surge in popularity among voters this year. The former deputy Westminster leader Kirsty Blackman said transgender legal reform was “a convenient issue and a convenient group of already excluded people who can be thrown under a bus in order for the massively successful SNP leadership to be undermined by a small group”. That was denied by one new NEC member, who said: “This is not about getting Alex Salmond back into politics nor is it anti-Nicola. Leading our agenda is democratising the party, improving governance and developing a better strategy on independence.” Another prominent activist, “distraught” at the results, urged other members to reaffirm that equality and independence “go hand in hand”. The Common Weal group, which wants the SNP to pursue a more leftwing economic strategy, give the membership greater control over policymaking and prioritise independence, won 21 seats last weekend. Women’s Pledge activists hold 11 seats, although some sit in both camps. Their standard bearer is Joanna Cherry, the Edinburgh South West MP who is close to Salmond and has repeatedly challenged the first minister over gender rights and independence strategy. She won a coveted seat on the NEC. Disputes over the party’s stance on gender recognition have been extremely contentious, pitting MSPs and MPs such as Cherry against others who support reforming the rules on gender self-identification. These groups include new members openly or quietly supportive of Salmond, who has been in open conflict with Sturgeon over the Scottish government’s handling of complaints of alleged sexual harassment against him, and the role of senior SNP figures in his prosecution on 14 charges of sexual and indecent assault. He had quit the SNP in protest after the inquiry’s results were leaked in August 2018. That inquiry was declared unlawful in January last year and Salmond was cleared of all the criminal charges in March. A Scottish parliament investigation is due to report by March 2021 and is widely expected to be highly critical of the government’s conduct. His supporters say that would clear the way for Salmond’s readmittance, potentially before the Scottish election in May. The SNP’s new national secretary, Stewart Stevenson, has been an MSP for 20 years and is one of Salmond’s closest friends. Three new national office-bearers – the party’s treasurer Douglas Chapman, equalities convenor Lynne Anderson and policy convenor Chris Hanlon – signed the Common Weal group’s manifesto for democracy calling for greater accountability and “putting members back into the heart of the party”. Hanlon defeated Alyn Smith, a prominent MP, former MEP and Sturgeon loyalist. One former NEC member said the results had sent shockwaves through the party hierarchy. “They didn’t see it coming. This is the party’s Brexit vote,” they said. Another activist said: “There’s an alliance of people who are all discontented with Nicola Sturgeon and they’re all discontented for different reasons … We’re starting to look a bit like the Labour party.” That was rejected by SNP sources. A very small percentage of party members voted, said one. “Any deductions drawn from the make-up [of these bodies] are overblown. We’re aware that there’s a change, but there’s no panic buttons being pressed. They may have influence, but they don’t have power.”