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IT wouldn’t be the run-up to SNP conference if there wasn’t some form of internal strife over independence strategy.
But I didn’t expect that an official internal pressure group – creatively named “Independence” – would be formed, with the task of pushing the party to “reprioritise its core mission” of Scottish independence.
A spokesperson for the group didn't hold back, arguing that the SNP had “wasted the past decade” concentrating on winning elections while “doing little” to build the public case for independence.
We splashed the story on our front page and – almost immediately – received some reaction from SNP activists.
Chris Hanlon, a former SNP policy convener, appears to have joined already.
“The SNP exists to promote the aims of its members, principally independence,” he wrote on Twitter/X.
“Leadership exists to serve that membership and to implement the decisions those members make at Annual Conference.”
He then added: “independence (the group, not the concept) exists to remind them of that.”
Meanwhile, David Birkett, the party’s North East representative on its National Executive Committee (NEC), said: “So, the party of Independence needs an independence wing? It shouldn't, but sign me up!”
But the overall feeling within the party wasn’t all too welcoming.
Former SNP MP Tommy Sheppard took aim at the (at present) anonymous nature of the group.
“I’m all in favour of members organising to push for changes in policy or priorities but they should have the courage of their convictions and say who they are,” he told The National.
“This secrecy runs counter to what we need, which is open tolerant debate.”
Graham Campbell, a Glasgow councillor and co-convener of the SNP Socialists, said he “didn’t recognise” the picture the group pained.
“To say independence is not SNP priority number one is just plain wrong and, having been in NEC meetings, I can assure folks that it is,” he told The National.
“John Swinney could be criticised for many things but not paying enough attention to independence is definitely not one of them.”
Campbell added: “Meanwhile SNP politicians have been far more visible speaking at rallies and on independence marches.”
He went on to say that there is “understandable impatience” when it comes to progress towards independence.
But added: “Part of any ‘strategy’ is the need for the SNP (as the main pro-independence electoral vehicle) to stay in government. There can be no forward momentum towards independence whilst our movement is out of office.”
Campbell said: “Quite how this new group thinks things could have been done differently by the SNP – given the constitutional blockages by Westminster, by the millions of Labour or Tory prime ministers; and its courts – is not clear to me.”
He added: “The one criticism of theirs that I agree with is that austerity-driven restructuring of public services is no way to win hearts and minds of public sector workers (most of whom were/are sympathetic). That would be a disaster for the SNP and for the independence cause.”
But Robin McAlpine, the pro-independence campaigner and founder of Common Weal, offered a different perspective, arguing that the SNP needs to put the wider independence movement ahead of its own electoral interests.
“The SNP has had an absolutely critical role in pushing independence into being the central issue it is now. But this is not the time when the most important player is the SNP,” he said.
“We are in a persuasion phase where we we have established the issue but have failed to win the support of enough n ew voters.”
McAlpine argued that the new group could play an important role in changing the party’s approach.
“For me the big difference the Independence group in the SNP could make would be to fight for a stance of ‘independence first’ rather than ‘party first’.”
He ended with a call to all in the independence movement: “Please set aside your own personal interests and focus on what is really the best thing for independence. That is not your logo or your pet scheme.
“The best thing for independence is our unity. The SNP can no longer demand that the whole movement falls in line behind it - but it can become a powerful and productive partner in a nationwide coalition that makes the breakthrough.
“SNP isolationism has failed. Let’s start working together.”
