SALMOND: “SNP have given up as an Independence Party”

“The SNP have effectively given up as an independence party. The Dream is alive and kicking. It’s just that the SNP have chosen to no longer be part of it”

This was said by former First Minister, Alex Salmond, speaking to Bauer Media on the 10th anniversary of his announcement of standing down as First Minister. At that time Mr Salmond famously declared that “The Dream Shall Never Die”. 

Today he said;

"Yesterday Keith Brown MSP, Depute Leader of the SNP,  said that Westminster would never concede another independence referendum. It’s taken a while for the SNP to catch on, but he’s probably right.

"The problem is that on the very same day, the SNP MSPs combined with the Better Together coalition of Labour/Tory/Liberal to vote down Ash Regan’s proposal to claim the next Scottish elections as the electoral mandate for independence. That leaves the SNP in limbo with no route or strategy towards achieving their historic mission of Scottish independence. The SNP is either an independence party or it is nothing. 

"Right now it is in danger of becoming nothing.

"September 18th 2014 was the day we came closer than any time in the modern era to reclaiming our independence. September 18th 2024 was the day the SNP effectively died as an independence party. 

"The Dream is still alive and kicking - it’s just that the SNP have chosen to no longer be part of it.

"Recently, Keith asked ALBA to join independence talks and of course ALBA will always cooperate on independence. But any such talks have to be about how to bring independence closer. They cannot be around a strategy vacuum.

"One thing is for sure. In 18 months time, ALBA will offer the people of Scotland the opportunity to claim an independence mandate at a Scottish election. With half of the population backing independence, we believe that many will rally to that standard of hope and progress for our country.”