AN SNP MSP has called for the economic case for independence to be “completely re-written” to take into account the challenges caused by coronavirus.
Alex Neil, who represents Airdrie and Shotts, said the party should contest the Holyrood 2021 elections on a “clear, unequivocal commitment” to hold indyref2 in the next parliamentary lifetime.
The 69-year-old announced yesterday that he would be standing down before next year's elections to spend more time with his family.
READ MORE: SNP’s Alex Neil to resign as MSP before Holyrood election
He said the SNP should agree to a joint mandate with the Scottish Greens to prevent their promises on a referendum being challenged.
Neil, who voted to leave the EU in the Brexit referendum, has also issued a warning to Prime Minister Boris Johnson that if he continues to deny a second referendum in Scotland despite growing support for independence, the Scottish Conservatives would be “wiped out.”
Neil said: “If the Scottish people elect a pro-independence majority to the Scottish Parliament with a clear democratic mandate to hold an independence referendum, Boris Johnson should not dare to stand in the way of Scottish democracy.”
Neil predicted, that if “the UK denies the Scottish people their democratic right to determine our own future, then Britain’s international reputation as a modern liberal democracy would be in tatters”, adding that it would also "lead to the electoral wipe-out of the Tory Party in Scotland”.
Neil said he was “optimistic about Scotland’s long-term future” and described Unionists as “weak and leaderless”.
"Boris Johnson and his Tory Government represent values which are alien to many people in Scotland, driving more and more of them towards independence," he added.
“But victory for the independence movement is not yet in the bag, there is a lot more work to do to achieve our goal.”
The MSP said there had to be a second referendum “to make progress” and said that the SNP must put a second referendum during the next parliamentary lifetime as the “centrepiece” of its campaign.
He continued: “ To underline the strength and clarity of the mandate, the SNP should agree the wording of that commitment with the wider independence movement and in particular invite the Scottish Green Party to agree an identical wording for their manifesto promise of a referendum. That way the legitimacy of the pro-independence parties’ joint mandate cannot be challenged.
“If the Scottish people elect a pro-independence majority to the Scottish Parliament with a clear democratic mandate to hold an independence referendum, I do not believe that Boris Johnson would dare stand in the way of Scottish democracy.”
He continued: “The case for independence needs to be updated as the world has moved on since 2014.
“It is difficult to see how we can re-build the Scottish economy without the tools available to independent nations, including a currency and central bank.
“The SNP also has to re-visit its policy for an independent Scotland to join the EU, which would lead to customs barriers between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK.
“It would make much more sense for an independent Scotland to join EFTA, which would secure access to European markets without the downsides of EU membership.”
It comes as a former Better Together adviser launched a hyperbolic attack" on the economic case for independence.
READ MORE: SNP hit out at Better Together adviser's 'hyperbolic attack' on independence
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