SNP party membership grows as clamour for referendum gathers pace
SNP membership has grown by more than 4,000 since the Brexit vote, to make it stand at a record high of 120,000.
It comes as Angus Robertson, the party’s leader at Westminster, said Scotland is now on the brink of independence.
His comments delivered the clearest signal yet that the party leadership is intent on holding a second referendum on the nation’s future. The assertion by the 46-year- old Moray MP came as he set out his priorities in his campaign for the deputy leadership of the party and as SNP figures showed party membership was five times the number it was at the time of the 2014 No vote.
Earlier this week, Mr Robertson told Theresa May during Prime Minister’s Questions that “we in Scotland will do everything – everything – that is necessary for us to remain in the EU”.
Downing Street said that the PM would honour the UK vote that “Brexit means Brexit” and would fully involve the SNP Government in the exit process but Mrs May made clear Edinburgh’s desire for Scotland to remain in the EU was “impracticable”.
Mr Robertson, who faces challenges for the deputy leadership from his colleagues Tommy Sheppard MP, Alyn Smith MEP and councillor Chris McEleny, said he would use his position as SNP deputy leader to “deliver our goal of independence”.
The deputy leader vacancy has arisen following the announcement by Stewart Hosie that he will step down from the position following controversy about his private life.
“We are on the brink of independence,” declared Mr Robertson, saying: “The campaign that comes now should be all about persuading people why our vision is the right one for Scotland.
“The SNP depute leader has a big role in order to make this happen; developing our policy, strategy and tactics to win.”
He stressed how he had spent the last year holding the UK Government to account every week at PMQs and that, alongside a team of extremely hard-working MPs, he had turned the SNP from the third party in the UK to the most effective opposition party to the Tory government.