Salmond: “Alba will be the only party with a manifesto that includes a strategy to deliver independence”
Party buoyed by Sunday Times Poll showing Alba on course for Scottish Parliament seat gains
Alba Party leader Alex Salmond has said that only his party will have a manifesto that includes a strategy to deliver independence.
Speaking last night (Sunday) at a meeting of all Alba General Election candidates, Mr Salmond set out that the Party’s campaign focus will now be on their strategy to deliver independence. The former First Minister said his party’s manifesto, expected to be launched next week, would offer people in Scotland “the only strategy being put forward by any party in the election, to deliver independence.”
The candidates were buoyed by Norstat polling which showed ALBA moving up to 5 per cent of the vote - enough to gain 3 seats on the list of the Scottish Parliament.
Alba say that the Scottish Greens have “not even attempted” to bring forward an independence strategy as they are “hedging their bets” in the event that Labour take control in the Scottish Parliament elections. Green Co-Leader Lorna Slater previously said that independence was “not a red line” for the Greens to work with a potential Labour Scottish Government.
Alba say that the SNP have changed their position on so many occasions in recent times, that nobody voting on July 4th will have the slightest clue on SNP independence strategy.
Nicola Sturgeon initially said only a “gold standard” referendum agreed by Westminster could lead to independence before she subsequently adopted support for a de facto referendum at the election as her favoured option. Humza Yousaf supported this position but claimed the SNP could lose over 20 seats at the election and that would be a mandate for independence, while last week, John Swinney said that ‘Devo Max’ should be back on the agenda, while simultaneously reverting to the need for a referendum.
Salmond says “Sherlock Holmes could not solve the mystery of the SNP approach to independence. It is an enigma without a solution”
Salmond’s Alba Party believe that each and every national election should now be fought seeking a straightforward popular mandate for the Scottish Government to enter into independence negotiations with Westminster. Alba argue that the election itself provides the mandate, and then a combination of people power in Scotland and international pressure can be deployed to force Westminster to accept democratic reality.
Among the measures Alba advocate to mobilise popular opinion in Scotland, is an Independence Convention uniting civic Scotland, while the Party also want the Scottish Parliament to hold a referendum on having the powers to negotiate and legislate for independence to mobilise popular support.
Mr Salmond, the First Minister who actually delivered the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence, says the manifesto will set out that Alba are now the only party fighting the General Election with a clear strategy to deliver Scottish independence.
Commenting Alba Party leader Alex Salmond said:
“ALBA has emerged as the only Party seeking an independence mandate at each and every election and we will be the only party that has a General Election manifesto that includes a strategy to deliver independence.
“Alba Party will ensure that Scots are given the opportunity to declare that we will not accept a Westminster Veto over our right to self determination and thus to vote at national elections for Scotland to be an independent country. We intend to mobilise the independence vote disheartened by the SNP’s half-hearted campaign. Every Alba vote will count towards independence.
“Alba Party are now the natural home for independence supporters and whilst the Greens look forward to potential deals with the Labour Party and the SNP soft-peddle on independence, Alba are looking forward to making an impact for independence in this General Election.
"Furthermore, as the polls are now beginning to show, Alba intend to be the key to an independence majority at the Scottish elections.”
