EVERY SNP member reading this column knows how much we owe our predecessors. It’s genuinely amazing how far thing have developed for the better.
How many people could imagine after the SNP won its first seat in 1945, that we would have a devolution referendum in 1997, and that in May 2016, the SNP would be returned for the third time in a row as the Scottish Government?
Throughout every generation, it has been SNP members who have made the difference. Without the volunteering and passion of SNP members, we would not be in the position to change Scotland and it is the responsibility of our party and its elected officials to enable the membership to continue to deliver the success for our party today.
I am the candidate for SNP depute leader who has the best experience and understanding of how our party actually works, having been SNP business convenor, chairing the National Executive Committee and overseeing party business.
Having been campaign director for the winning 2007 and 2011 Scottish Parliament elections, I know how we have succeeded in the SNP membership being the most successful campaigning party in the country.There is now a lively debate about how we develop the SNP with its membership which has grown so much.The SNP National Executive Committee has acknowledged that now is the time to re-examine our constitution. The last time this was done was more than 12 years ago.
I am confident that the SNP organisation and structures can carry us forward, not only in this decade but going into the next; but, like any organisation, we must evolve.
We must include those who were not part of our family before. We must match the expectations of our new members and equal the ambition and drive of folk who have campaigned for an independent Scotland for decades.
There is a huge opportunity to embrace digital technology in this process. By using our online platform, we can develop new and innovative training courses and additional ways to feed in policy ideas so that our members across the country can engage with the party on a day to day basis.
Today, we have members in different parts of Scotland who do not get involved in the party due to distances and time pressures. We are unwittingly placing barriers on our members and in the evolution of the SNP, we can remove these barriers by embracing technology and lending support to allow our rural members to lend their voice to Scotland’s party.
I have said from the beginning that I believe that leadership plus grassroots will equal Scotland’s independence. I have the leadership credentials of being Westminster Group leader, and of having worked as business convenor of the SNP and as campaign director for the 2007 and 2011 Scottish Parliamentary elections.
Now I want to empower all of our members.
When Nicola Sturgeon was campaigning back in May of this year, she put on record that education was to be the focus of her government. Education, training and involvement should be a focus for our grassroots to empower them to be the next leaders of Scotland.
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