Sturgeon ‘should be congratulated’ says Salmond ... but warns over Indyref2 promise
ALEX Salmond will say Nicola Sturgeon should be congratulated as she becomes Scotland’s longest serving First Minister next week – beating his record.
But the former SNP chief, who now leads the Alba party, will warn his successor – whose party has just won its 11th successive election – that it is not just the job of a SNP first minister to lead the country but also to advance independence.
In a speech today in Glasgow, Mr Salmond says if Ms Sturgeon doesn’t deliver a second independence referendum in 2023, as she has repeatedly promised Covid permitting, “the political winds” will start to blow against her.
“In seven-and-a-half years as First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has reigned supreme at elections and for that she both merits and should receive congratulation.
“It is no small feat to win so many elections.
“But the task of an SNP First Minister is not just to win elections but to advance the cause of independence and govern the country well,” he is expected to say.
“If it is to be ‘Free in 23’ and the much-promised ‘no ifs or buts’ vote is delivered, then all well and good – every independence supporter will gather behind that banner. However, if not, then the political winds will start to blow in an entirely different direction.”
Work is under way in the Scottish Government to update the case for independence in light of Brexit, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine.
A series of papers is expected to be published later this year setting out what currency an independent Scotland would use, the process for entering the European Union, and on border arrangements with the UK.
As Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly refused to agree to a new vote and hand powers to Holyrood to hold one, the First Minister is planning a referendum without his agreement using legislation in the Scottish Parliament.
However, the bill has yet to be tabled despite Ms Sturgeon saying in January it would be introduced in the coming weeks.
Mr Salmond will also use his speech to argue – as he did in his address to the Alba spring conference – that while his government “built support for independence on competence in government”.
“Now the SNP/Green coalition have independence as a shield for problems of policy delivery,” he is expected to say.
Raising ongoing questions over the delays in the buildings of two ferries at Ferguson Marine, Mr Salmond said: “We have moved in Scotland from the SNP mobilising the credibility gained by good governance to enhance support for independence, to the present position where independence is the political shield protecting the SNP/Green coalition from the consequences of poor performance.
He asked what the government’s strategy would be to counter the PM’s refusal for a new vote, saying: “So what then are the political, legal and diplomatic moves planned to assert Scotland’s democratic rights?
“If you expect the people to rally to a cause, they have to see a sense of direction.”
SNP MP Pete Wishart: said “This is desperate stuff from a political party that has been roundly rejected by the electorate time and again.
“Alba might have had a shred of credibility if they had been able to win the trust of the public at elections. In reality, they carp from the sidelines while serious political parties actually deliver for those who elect them.”