INDEPENDENCE is “slipping off the political agenda” just weeks after the Holyrood election, Alex Salmond has said.
Speaking in an update to members of his Alba Party, the former First Minister said that now was the time to act to push for Scottish independence.
He said that if the Tory government in London is allowed “to regain its political balance” then the opportunity to become independent may not come again.
Salmond said that constitutional issues should be “right up there, first and foremost” alongside dealing with the Covid pandemic because recovery from its impact is deeply linked to independence.
READ MORE: Joanna Cherry: The groundwork for independence should be laid without delay
Talking to Alba members, Salmond said: "It is only two weeks since the Scottish election and yet the constitutional issue is already gradually slipping off the political agenda.
"Independence should be right up there, first and foremost, in terms of dealing with the pandemic in terms of recovery and economic recovery from it.
"We should be talking about the constitutional question in Scotland, we should be forcing the issue because London has never been weaker and Scotland has never been stronger in political terms.
"But if we allow it to slip off the political agenda to allow the Johnson government to regain its political balance, then the chance may be missed, and may never come again.
"An absolute majority of the Scottish electorate, two weeks ago in the Scottish elections, voted for parties committed to Scottish independence, a mandate that is unarguable but one that has to be used because mandates that are not used can sometimes be lost."
Alba had hoped to return MSPs from every region across Scotland in the elections on May 6. However, they were only able to amass 1.7% of the regional list vote.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon dismisses Alba push to start independence negotiations after May 6
Salmond had said that his party’s MSPs would move a motion to urge the Scottish Government to negotiate the terms of independence within the first week of a new parliament.
However, Alba’s failure to return any MSPs is said to have strengthened Nicola Sturgeon’s position within the SNP, where she had been criticised for moving too slowly on constitutional issues.
Salmond also said that the Alba Party now has 5500 members, around 400 more than it had when it announced it had overtaken the LibDems in terms of membership during the election campaign.
The former First Minister announced last week that his party will be contesting the council elections across Scotland in 2022.
He said previously: "Having established ourselves, it’s now time for Alba to grow.
“Our objective, because we are not an ordinary political party, is to help secure the independence of our country.
“Alba has a role, it has a significance, and that role will develop, grow and bloom over the next few years. Alba is rising.”
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