A message from Alex Salmond

At the start of this week I offered my congratulations to Humza Yousaf on his election as SNP leader and Scotland’s new First Minister.

It is now in the best interests of all the people of Scotland that he sets about restoring the Scottish Government’s reputation for competent Government. It was a hard won reputation, and sadly one which has been dissipated in recent years.

In the phrase which made the SNP leadership election campaign, “continuity won’t cut it”. It’s clear that people across the independence movement agree, and as a result we have welcomed hundreds of new members to ALBA, just over the past few days.

Therefore to all of our new members and to every single party member, thank you for your support. If you haven't already joined, you can do so here: www.albaparty.org/join

As the new First Minister focuses on regaining the trust of the people in the delivery of our public services, the constitutional issue must not be kicked into the long grass yet again.

It is a false choice between campaigning for independence or governing well. The SNP governments which I led did both. That’s why the people of Scotland put their trust in the Scottish Government and it was that overwhelming support of the people that allowed us to bend Westminster to the will of Scotland to deliver an independence referendum in 2014.

Scotland is an energy rich nation but our people can’t afford to heat their homes. That’s the sort of issue that Humza Yousaf should be facing down Westminster over, not unpopular policies grafted onto the independence movement by the Green Party. Much less time should be spent pursuing self-identification and much more time spent on the achievement of self-determination.

The people of Scotland have voted in election after election for Scotland to have a choice on its own future.

Humza Yousaf’s first serious initiative as First Minister should be to back the calls of other independence supporting parties and organisations and convene an Independence Convention. Indeed Kate Forbes and Ash Regan, who between them secured a majority votes, both backed this proposal during the leadership contest.

Watch some of my media contributions this week;


Click HERE now to Tweet the video and show your support

ALBA always stand ready to work with the entire Yes movement in the campaign for independence. But if there is any attempt to put the constitutional issue on the back burner, then ALBA will ensure that the independence flame keeps burning and keeps burning brightly.

Yours for ALBA, 

Alex Salmond
Leader, ALBA Party