THE first appointment to the SNP’s dedicated taskforce which will lay the groundwork for a new Yes campaign has been announced today.

Former Scottish Government minister Marco Biagi will take up the role of campaign strategist for the group in the coming days. The creation of the taskforce, which is also aiming to “fire up” the wider Yes movement, was unveiled last week by SNP depute leader Keith Brown.

Biagi has been revealed in the new role as members meet at the party’s virtual National Assembly today to discuss the tactics and strategy of how to get to independence.

Brown, who is also the SNP’s campaign director, said he was “really excited” that Biagi is the first appointment to the taskforce.

He added: “I have known Marco for a long time, and I know what he will bring to the table. 

“His top-level political experience, his strategic mind and campaign expertise makes him a great fit into our winning team.

“The Scottish Parliamentary election in May is Scotland’s most important election ever – and the campaign will be fought on Scotland’s right to choose.” 

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Speaking about his new role, Biagi said: “There could not be a more exciting time to be coming on board. More and more people in Scotland are backing independence as the best way forward to recovery.

“In just 100 days at the Holyrood elections voters will be able to affirm that the right to choose Scotland’s future is theirs and not Westminster’s.” 

Biagi became MSP for Edinburgh Central in 2011, winning the seat from Labour which had held it for the previous decade.

He was appointed in the role of Minister for Local Government and Community Empowerment in 2014. While in office he passed the Community Empowerment Act, which gave new rights to community bodies and aimed to make sure locals were involved in decisions about public services.

He was also instrumental in the campaign for same-sex marriage and acted as a witness for one of the first couples to marry when the legislation permitting same-sex ceremonies came into effect at the end of 2014.

Biagi was seen as a rising star in the party and surprised many when he stood down at the 2016 election after just one term.

He was later praised across the political spectrum when he revealed he had quit politics due to mental health issues, opening up about his struggle on World Mental Health Day in 2019. Since stepping down as an MSP he has turned to academic research and writing.

Biagi will work with existing SNP headquarters staff and strategists across the party, with more staff to be added to the taskforce if the party achieves successful results in the Holyrood elections in May.

The SNP has said the objective of the group is to lay the foundations of the indyref2 campaign before the Scottish Parliament elections.

Brown said the taskforce will “lead on strategy as the party heads towards a referendum in the early stages of the next parliamentary term”.

This will include publishing a series of policy papers to build the case for an independent Scotland and creating materials for Yes campaigners. The group will work to establish a national information service to help people make an “informed choice” on independence.

According to the latest poll, more than half of Scots – 52% – believe a fresh vote on leaving the UK should take place within five years or before.

But the announcement of the taskforce was criticised by opposition politicians, with Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross saying escalating plans for indyref 2 was “rash and self-indulgent” while the country is in another lockdown.

Last November it was reported Boris Johnson had launched a new Tory “Union taskforce” to try to stop Scottish independence and make the “positive case for the Union”.