THE SNP have said a National Assembly event to discuss the strategy and way forward on independence has shown the party is “energised” ahead of the Holyrood elections in May.
Keith Brown, the party’s deputy leader and campaign director, revealed that 1000 members took part in the online discussions yesterday afternoon. “The SNP National Assembly was a great success and I would like to thank the 1000-strong members who took part,” he said.
“We had positive contributions from a wide range of members and constructive debate on the future of the SNP and independence.
“It was extremely encouraging to also see so many young members of the party taking part in the breakout conversations we had and summing up those in the main stage room at the end. This is their future and I am delighted to see so many of them engaged in such an important issue.”
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He added: “It was also a great exercise to discuss a wide range of topics within the independence campaign, such as engaging with the international community and dealing with disinformation. The contributions made today at the National Assembly show we are ready to move forward into May’s election energised and give the people of Scotland the right to choose their independent future.”
The SNP’s Common Weal Group said: “The National Assembly was an opportunity to draw on the expertise and creativity of the SNP membership and take input from the wider independence movement on the SNP’s independence strategy.
“Whatever direction we decide to go from here, it has to be the settled democratic will of the party members. The National Assembly can’t just be another rebranding exercise, where the leadership puts forward a predetermined strategy and uses the National Assembly to refine how that strategy is marketed.
“Members must be given the opportunity of democratic oversight to ensure action, not just discussion. There must be a democratic mechanism to express the views of the members in attendance, and a report produced by the leadership which identifies the decisions which have been made.”
The assembly discussed a new Plan B route to independence being put forward by Scottish Constitution Affairs Secretary Michael Russell.
His proposal, revealed by The National on Saturday, is to seek a Section 30 order from Boris Johnson, and if the request is rejected, push ahead with legislation in Holyrood to hold a new referendum.
But after the meeting yesterday, one of the SNP’s main campaigners for a Plan B called for his party to “be bolder” and set a deadline for Johnson to agree. If the UK Government doesn’t agree to a referendum by March 31, Chris McEleny says, then it must not be ruled out that this May’s election is in itself turned into a referendum.
The Plan B advocate believes that his party are giving Johnson too much opportunity to block people in Scotland being able to express their choice in favour of Scottish independence.
McEleny said: “It is welcome that the party has finally conceded that the strategy of relying on Boris Johnson’s permission to hold an independence referendum was not going to work. The Scottish Government must progress with a referendum bill now, setting Boris Johnson a deadline to agree to a Section 30 order before the election.
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“Why wait until after the election to ask his permission, again, when we already have several mandates to hold an independence referendum, and we know he will say no?
“A parliamentary majority exists now that can pass a bill, so that the necessary arrangements for a referendum can be made and implemented.”
The 11-point document, presented to party’s discussion forum yesterday, says a “legal referendum” will be held after the pandemic if there is a pro-independence majority following May’s election. It states any attempt by the UK Government to challenge the legality of the referendum in the courts will be “vigorously opposed”.
A Section 30 order – part of the Scotland Act 1998 which allows Holyrood to pass laws normally reserved to Westminster – was granted by the UK Government ahead of the 2014 referendum.
Johnson has repeatedly stated his opposition to a second independence referendum, insisting this month that there should be 40 years between the vote in 2014 and a second one.
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