“The SNP ‘go-it-alone approach’ risks losing all credibility on independence strategy.” - Alex Salmond

Reacting to the publication of the SNP leadership motion for October Conference on independence, which suggests that the SNP winning “most seats” at a General Election should give “democratic effect” to independence, former First Minister, and ALBA Party leader, Alex Salmond said;

“It seems from the leadership motion that they have decided on a “go-it-alone approach” which will achieve nothing, instead of a Scotland United for Independence strategy.

No one seriously believes that proposing a majority of seats as an independence mandate is at all credible. Given that Westminster have been allowed over repeated elections to dismiss a majority of SNP seats as a mandate for a mere referendum, why on earth would they concede it as a mandate for negotiating independence itself?

And the leadership motion is tellingly and devastatingly silent on what democratic mechanisms should be used to bend Westminster to the will of the people.

The correct mandate to seek is a majority of votes for ALL of the independence parties working in harmony not for a single party winning most seats. The correct democratic implementation is through the establishment of an Independence Convention to mobilise Scottish and international opinion to face Westminster down and force them into independence negotiations with the Scottish Government.

Humza Yousaf and Stephen Flynn must decide why they want to talk about independence at all.

Either they want it just as a political shield to protect them from the SNP grassroots, impatient after nine years of inaction, or they see it as a realisable and urgent goal. If the latter, then they are required to propose a real strategy or lose all credibility.”