Revealed: Alba’s proposed deal to support Yousaf in no-confidence motion
Sunday National publishes details of negotiation paper
THE proposed deal Alba offered to Humza Yousaf for support in a no-confidence motion – which could have seen him survive as first minister – included holding meetings between the party’s sole MSP and top figures such as the Energy Secretary and chief medical officer, the Sunday National can reveal.
Two documents shared with this paper outline the deal proposed by Alba, which it is understood formed a plank of negotiations with figures on Yousaf’s team on Saturday, April 27. The two negotiation documents – which have been confirmed by sources on both sides – are broadly similar, but there are some differences between them.
One is slightly longer and includes demands for Alba MSP Ash Regan – whose vote could have tied any no-confidence motion in Yousaf’s leadership – to meet with the chief medical officer to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the Cass Review into gender health care.
It also includes calls for Regan to meet with the Energy Secretary and Energy Minister – Mairi McAllan and Gillian Martin respectively – “to discuss the future of energy in Scotland and plan how the rapid deployment of carbon capture can make the continuation of the oil and gas industry compatible with Scotland’s climate change ambitions”.
These two demands are missing from the second version of the deal, but otherwise they are the same in content if not exact wording.
Previously, media reports said that Alba had been looking for an electoral pact with the SNP ahead of a General Election, which would see pro-independence parties agree not to stand against each other. However, this is not present in any version of the proposals seen by this paper.
The Sunday National understands finalised proposals had not been formally presented to the First Minister before he took his decision to resign.
Two sources claimed that – as Alex Salmond also alleged in an interview with the BBC – senior figures in the SNP had moved to prevent a deal with Alba being struck.
The Sunday National is printing the longer negotiation document in full.
THE TEXT IN FULL
Re-establishing independence as the top priority of Government
1. A Scottish Independence Convention to be called this summer comprising all Scottish parliamentarians and two reps from each Electoral Commissionregistered independence-supporting political party. The purpose of the first meeting of the Convention would be to agree a Declaration of Scottish Sovereignty and to call on civic Scotland to join the Convention.
2. Government support in principle for Ash Regan’s extension of the powers of the parliament bill and a joint discussion to establish when it would be tactically astute to introduce it into the Parliament as part of the wider independence campaign.
Protecting women, girls and children
1. The Scottish Government will accept in full all recommendations of the Cass Report that are applicable in Scotland.
2. Ash Regan MSP will meet with the chief medical officer of Scotland to be briefed on which recommendations are not applicable in Scotland to ensure transparency in the process and assurance that the Government are progressing in an evidenced-based manner.
3. The Scottish Government will publish a response to the Cass Report setting out its support of the applicable recommendations and will provide reasons and assessment of why it deems any recommendation is not applicable in Scotland.
Competent Government and a return to delivering on the people’s priorities
1. Alba Party welcome that the Scottish Government has already acted to respond to our call to reinstate funding to Scotland’s affordable housing budget. The announcement of additional funding for 2024/25 of £80 million is accepted as a good faith act on the Scottish Government’s part of its willingness to deliver other priorities of Alba Party that are aligned to the priorities of the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government will commit to reprioritising investment in affordable housing.
2. Welcome progress has been made in advancing the rollout of free school meals in Scotland. The Scottish Government will respond to the call of Ash Regan MSP and Alba Party for further action by reprofiling spending commitments contained in the 2024/25 budget to allocate additional funding to Scottish councils to fund the rollout of universal free school meals to all Scottish primary school children, with the entitlement commencing for all primary school children no later than the first day of the 2024/25 school year.
3. Alba Party believe that the Grangemouth oil refinery is a strategic national asset. The Scottish Government will commit to supporting a campaign to extend the life of the Oil Refinery for a future beyond 2025.
The Scottish Government will engage with Unite the Union and support a renewed campaign to save the Grangemouth Oil Refinery from closure, with further discussions to progress what funding support the Scottish Government can provide and the Scottish Government will add its support to the demands of Scottish MPs calling on the UK Government to provide substantial capital resource to ensure a long and sustainable future for Grangemouth.
The Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy, and the Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work will hold a meeting with Ash Regan MSP to discuss the future of energy in Scotland and plan how the rapid deployment of carbon capture can make the continuation of the oil and gas industry compatible with Scotland’s climate change ambitions, how the development of our offshore renewable sector should accord direct benefits to Scottish industry and communities and how the completion and maintenance of the trunk road network to satisfactory standards need not be at odds with continuing greenhouse gas reductions.
DOES the wider independence movement support John Swinney’s probable anointment as First Minister? We asked a sample of Yes-supporting groups what they thought.
Alan Petrie of Aberdeen Independence Movement (AIM) welcomed Swinney’s decision to stand and rival Kate Forbes’s decision not to stand against him.
“For independence to be achieved, we need the political and civic strands of our movement working for the greater good,” he said.
“We need a united political strand and a vibrant civic strand. It looks like John will be able to bring that much-needed unity to the political strand.
“We look forward to working with John and his united team to build a vibrant civic strand.”
Yes Kirriemuir were “heartened” to see Swinney using the slogan “uniting for independence” as well as his commitment to leading “a Scotland which will work to lift up those being hit hardest by the cost of Westminster rule”.
“We hope that he will ensure the SNP works with the Yes movement to deliver the real change Scotland needs: Scottish independence,” said a Yes Kirriemuir spokesperson.
InverYESs also welcomed the announcement from Forbes – one of their local MSPs – that she would not contest the position of First Minister but would hold a “significant supportive role” to Swinney.
“Kate will make a strong second team member and bring a much