Advice for the SNP

From Alba Party National Executive Member Daniel Jack 

“I spent the first referendum campaign as a senior diplomat representing Scotland in the USA.

I am returning to Scotland as a political activist still hoping and expecting a further democratic opportunity for freedom to emerge over the next few years.

However, my experience gives me a certain detachment from the day to day hurly-burly of Scottish politics. This allows a clear sighted view of the difference between 2014 and now. Although I am a member of the ALBA Party, my first loyalty is to the cause of independence and I wish all pro-independence parties well.

My advice to the SNP is this;

Firstly, rediscover your independence mojo. No one, friend or foe, doubted the seriousness of intent of the Salmond government for independence. That is simply no longer there.

Secondly, get the likes of Angus Brendan MacNeil and Fergus Ewing back into the SNP and ask the Greens to leave the Government. It’s fine to have the Green Party as a legitimate part of the independence campaign but a disastrous liability to have them in government. They on a daily basis are largely responsible for destroying the SNP’s hard won reputation for governmental competence.

Thirdly, co-operate in an open hearted manner with other independence parties and stop trying to stifle the YES movement. To the outside view, the SNP’s army of apparatchiks look like a gaggle of place people jockeying for position and nothing at all like the glorious cross and non- party flowering of passion and principle of the high summer of 2014.

Now not all of the above is Humza Yousaf’s fault. His predecessor is greatly to blame. However, he is the man behind the eight-ball and he has to change course decisively and right now because in the words of the old song, ‘it is later than you think’.”

(This was first published in The National on 07/10/23)