Problem with Scottish National Party is, er, nationalism – minister
previously spoken out against racism, also called on the party to ‘weed out’ any ‘bad apples’ who dish out abuse.
Asked during an event at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival whether it was ‘time to drop the nationalism part’ of the SNP’s name, Mr Yousaf said: ‘I do struggle with it because people associate it with all the elements of nationalism that exist.
‘The brand is so strongly associated that a name change would be challenging.
‘But if I was in those discussions when the SNP was made, I would have thought of perhaps looking at a different name because of the connotations of nationalism.’
He added: ‘I don’t think anybody that really knows the SNP thinks we are associated at all with that nasty, Right-wing nationalism.
‘Not to say that there aren’t bad apples who support us and whatever else, and we must weed them out, root them out.
‘The core of where we are is nothing to do with those nefarious elements of nationalism. People understand we are an open and inclusive party. But do I think the name can present us with challenges? Sure.’
Nicola Sturgeon has previously said it can be ‘problematic’ that her party is called the Scottish National Party and wishes she could turn the clock back and change the name.
During yesterday’s event Mr Yousaf also admitted that the SNP needs to make a better argument on the economy than it did in the 2014 independence referendum.
Asked about former government special adviser Alex Bell describing the SNP’s Growth Commission report as a ‘suicide note’ for the proindependence campaign, he said he ‘often butted heads and had differences of opinion’ with Mr Bell.
He added: ‘The Yes movement has to look at where we lost the arguments. Person after person said to me “your economic case was not strong enough”.
‘What the Growth Commission does is paints a realistic picture. We are going to have challenges, but it lays out a blueprint that if you take x, y and z actions then yes, after a period of time we are going to be in a much better position than being wedded to the rest of the UK.’