Salmond calls for "new resolve for the new year" in Scottish Politics

Former First Minister says "the decade of political drift must come to an end".

He said;

“In the aftermath of the independence referendum of a decade ago, few people would have predicted a Scotland moving politically backwards not forwards.

The transformational impact of the referendum galvanised an electorate into further positive votes for progressive change. However, instead of forging ahead to independence, Scottish politicians have dithered, delayed and finally dissipated the impetus for progress. It has been a decade of drift to the great detriment of the Scottish people.

Who would have thought it possible that the energised Scotland of ten years ago would have been forced to endure ten years of Westminster austerity and our economy sabotaged by being dragged out of the European single market? Who would have thought that London Labour which offers nothing but a pale Tory substitute, would be given any serious consideration as an acceptable option for Scotland?

The bedrock of Scottish government competence which was the foundation on which support for independence grew, has been badly eroded, while the SNP have given up the ghost on presenting a coherent independence strategy.

Over the period until the Scottish elections of 2026, it is the task of ALBA to offer the people the direct opportunity to vote for independence and to propose to the Scottish Parliament a plan to seize the political initiative back from Westminster. And it is the task of the national movement to insist that the course is set on independence and this decade of political drift comes to an end.

We need new resolve for the New Year in Scottish public life.”