A FORMER SNP MP told a protest in Edinburgh yesterday his patience has run out with the party’s leaders, as he criticised them for failing to campaign in the streets for Scottish independence.

National columnist George Kerevan was one of the speakers at a “static, distanced demo” organised by the All Under One Banner group outside the Scottish Parliament.

Dozens turned up with Saltires, other flags and banners at the event, staged during Scotland’s phased exit out of lockdown.

Kerevan, who lost his seat as MP for East Lothian at the 2017 General Election, also quoted John Lewis – the US civil rights campaigner who died recently – and called for Union Street in Aberdeen to be renamed “Independent Street”.

He said: “I’m the first to congratulate our Government on how it has handled the Covid crisis. But I’m also worried that for the last three years – essentially since the 2017 General Election – the party leadership ... has refused to campaign in the streets for independence.

READ MORE: AUOB's Holyrood protest against Tory power grab a 'great success'

“It’s left to the campaigning of organisations like All Under One Banner. We cannot be patient any longer and the movement and the party cannot afford to be patient.”

Another speaker, Neil Mackay, praised the actions of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and other key SNP figures but called on “the leadership to lead” on the issue of independence.

He told the crowd: “Yes, the leadership is performing very well on other matters but you know what, managing Covid should run parallel with fighting for independence. We should not be dropping the cause. And that is why we’re all here today.

“We need the parliamentary wing to synergise with the movement and work with us – we don’t need any more smoke signals, we don’t need any more whispers.”

Chris McCusker issued a plea for unity within the SNP and among independence campaigners.

He called for “no divisions” and “no factions”, adding: “It is not all about the SNP, it is not all about the Greens, or any other indy party.

“It is all about the freedom for Scotland and we should all remember that and respect everybody else’s view in achieving that.”

The remarks came in the wake of former SNP MSP Dave Thompson quitting the party to join the newly formed Alliance for Independence, which will reportedly run under the slogan “Max the Yes” in the May 2021 Scottish Parliament election.

READ MORE: Another former SNP MSP backs Alliance for Independence campaign

Mackay also told the crowd further static demonstrations would take place at Bannockburn on August 19 and in George Square, Glasgow, on September 17.

He also promised a rally will be announced on the day Sturgeon announces Scotland’s moving to phase four in the exit out of lockdown.

Andrew Wilson, one of the organisers of yesterday’s event, said: “The First Minister is absolutely right to focus on, in terms of public health and in terms of an emergency, the thing that came first and thing that’s most important, and we applaud her for that.

“When she’s been asked about the activities of All Under One Banner she has always been very careful to say we need the timing that is important and the timing is correct.

“It is clear that the demonstration today is at the right time and All Under One Banner absolutely supports the First Minister in her activities to protect and look after the people of Scotland.

“We will get on with independence and at a time when the First Minister is not having to spend every waking minute dealing with Covid then I’m sure we’ll be working besides her at that point.”