We won’t get independence now, says party president

THE president of the SNP has said he does not believe Scottish independence can be achieved “right now” with the party facing its “biggest and most challenging crisis” in 50 years.

Mike Russell made the comments amid the continuing fallout from the arrest of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, the husband of Nicola Sturgeon, the ex-first minister.

Last week, police spent days searching the property Ms Sturgeon shares with Mr Murrell, who was arrested and quizzed for 11 hours by detectives conducting a probe into the SNP’s finances.

He was released without charge, while the probe continues.

Mr Russell told The Herald: “I don’t think independence can be secured right now; we need to work towards some coordinated campaigning.

“In my 50-year association with the party this is the biggest and most challenging crisis we’ve ever faced, certainly while we’ve been in government.

“But I have an obligation to this party and the movement for Scottish independence that’s been such a massive part of my life for so long.

“I’ll do as much as I can, but it’s true that the last few weeks have been pretty wearing.”

Appearing to hint at splits in the party and doubts about its new leader and First Minister, Humza Yousaf, he added: “All I can do is put my trust in working with others to get it right. Like it or not, the party has chosen Humza to

do this and I want to help him in that as much as I can. Parties and institutions are fallible. In a sense though, it’s a case of ‘The King is Dead, Long Live the King’. That’s the way it’s got to be.”

Mr Yousaf has meanwhile been urged to ditch Ms Sturgeon’s legacy in a bid to save the SNP.

Alex Salmond, an ex-first minister and SNP leader who now leads the Alba Party, told Talk TV he felt “sadness” at the state of his former party and urged Mr Yousaf to adopt a new approach to turn the situation around.

“What I suggest to Humza Yousaf is, recognise the problem of being the continuity candidate, for goodness sake, get a drawbridge between what you are doing and what has happened in the

past,” he said. “Change direction, ditch the Greens, invite your opponents in the SNP into key positions in your cabinet, get your party back together, and above all, have the humility to extend the hand of friendship to the rest of the independence movement.”

The new First Minister said he will announce “imminently” whether he will go to court to salvage his predecessor’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which was blocked by the UK Government. Mr Yousaf has until the middle of this month to decide whether to challenge the veto to the bill, which would have allowed Scots to change their legal sex simply by signing a declaration.

It was blocked by the UK Government on the grounds that it would have interfered with UK equalities law, which is reserved to Westminster, and potentially would have harmed the rights and safety of women and girls.

Mr Yousaf also said he remained “committed” to the party’s pact with the Scottish Greens but would “keep it under pretty regular review”.

‘Like it or not, the party has chosen Humza to do this and I want to help him in that as much as I can’