JOHN Swinney is facing fresh pressure to back a new independence strategy at the SNP’s forthcoming party conference.
More than 50 branches – and now the party's largest affiliate body – have urged the First Minister to back an updated approach, outlined in an amendment drafted by the SNP’s former policy development convener Toni Giugliano.
The proposed strategy – which comes after Andy Burnham suggested that majority support should lead to indyref2 and the recent historic Celtic Alliance meeting – has four main planks.
This includes building consensus on a “democratic, lawful and credible” route to independence, increasing support through a national campaign, making the next UK General Election a defining vote on Scotland’s “right to choose” and creating an “independence delivery unit” to lay the foundations for independence.
The National understands that the amendment will be considered by the SNP’s conference committee on Sunday with a final decision made on Wednesday next week.
Now, the SNP Trade Union Group (TUG) – which is the party’s largest affiliate body – has urged the party top brass to back it.
“The TUG, the party’s largest affiliate body, strongly supports the idea of a civic assembly focussed on Scotland's right to decide, with trade unions among those playing a major role,” Simon Barrow, the national secretary of the SNP TUG, told The National.
“We also endorse the idea of a fresh campaign impetus on how the powers of independence can deliver for the people of Scotland, and a focus at the next Westminster election on Scotland being granted a credible democratic mechanism to choose its own constitutional future.”
He added: “This amendment, backed by a wide cross section of the party, seems to provide the best available opportunity at conference to create a positive democratic debate around these vital issues and the way forward.
“The SNP needs to build confidence, accountability and perspective in stimulating the vision of a better Scotland, working alongside all those within and beyond the party who share that vision.”
Ruth Ritchie, who is a member of the party’s Annandale and Eskdale branch, said her branch is one of those who supports the amendment.
“I have also supported the amendment in my own name as current South Scotland representative, because, quite simply, there is nothing more important to Scotland than establishing and actively pursuing concrete plans for delivering our independence as a matter of considerable urgency,” she said.
“The answer to pretty much every issue affecting Scotland, is for us to have the full powers of an independent country, back in the EU, and hopefully with our friends in England soon following suit. None of us can afford to keep waiting.”
Another member, Stephen Shilton, said: “I do think there needs to be an independence strategy debate.
“Things have changed since the election. Obviously, we haven't had a majority of SNP MSPs which a lot of us didn't think was going to happen anyway, but we have got a huge majority of pro-independence MSPs.
“And we've also got this situation now where Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are now governed by parties that are for independence. So all of that taken into consideration, along with the new Prime Minister who's making utterances, we're in a new situation and we have to make it work for us, and strategy's going be vitally important for that.”
An SNP spokesperson said: “The draft agenda for SNP conference is decided by the conferences committee and the final agenda is voted on by delegates.”
