Sillars urges Sturgeon to put independence ahead of SNP in 2021
A FORMER SNP deputy leader has urged Nicola Sturgeon to put party interest aside and work with a new independence alliance at next year’s Holyrood election.
Jim Sillars warned there was a risk that frustration within the Yes movement could see it “splinter” over the best way to win a mandate for another referendum in 2021.
He said the First Minister should consider removing the SNP from Holyrood’s regional list system to give the new Alliance For Independence a clear run at maximising the tally of Yes MSPS.
He said it would be a “tragedy” if Ms Sturgeon put “narrow party interest” ahead of the wider independence cause.
He said: “She now has to exercise some wisdom, take off the party hat and put on the movement one.
“The tragedy will be if Ms Sturgeon does not realise that those who form the Alliance have as much right to contribute to strategy and tactics as she.
“The sensible thing now would be to talk to them.”
His intervention comes as a number of senior SNP figures have suggested using the list system to win more pro-independence seats to force Boris Johnson to grant Indyref2.
At the last Holyrood election, the SNP won only four of the 56 top-up list seats because it did so well in constituencies, where it won 59 of the 73 seats.
Former SNP MSP Dave Thompson this week announced he planned to leave the party after 55 years to support the listonly Alliance, saying it might win eight to 24 seats.
But the idea has been quashed by SNP headquarters. The party said talk of splitting the
SNP vote would be “music to Unionist ears” and warned those seeking to “game” Holyrood’s system were “putting at risk the SNP’S progress”.
But Mr Sillars said the independence movement – not any one party – should decide on tactics.
He told the Herald he would not stand for the Alliance, but said the logic for it was “impeccable”, and that Ms Sturgeon should recognise its merits.
He said: “A requirement in major politicians is the ability to rethink your position as circumstances changes. Nicola should rethink the position.
“What is the priority? Is it a party priority to get as many SNP MSPS in, or a movement priority to get the maximum number of MSPS committed to an independence referendum in? That’s the choice.”
He rejected accusations of “gaming the system”.
He said: “You’re not gaming the system. You’re using it. It’s a perfectly legitimate position for the Alliance group to take.”