SNP leader Humza Yousaf has urged his party to get behind his new independence strategy after a “challenging” six months for the party.
He made the plea after activists at the SNP annual conference in Aberdeen overwhelmingly backed his plan to use the upcoming Westminster election – expected to take place sometime next year – to put independence “front and centre”.
Sunday’s debate took place as the SNP faces a difficult period, with support slipping in the polls after the resignation of his predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon, sparked a bruising leadership contest for the party, which is also having its finances investigated by the police.
It recently lost the Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat at Westminster to Labour, while MP Dr Lisa Cameron quit the party to join the Conservatives.
Mr Yousaf, who became Scottish First Minister and SNP leader back in March, conceded the last six months had been “challenging at times”.
But he told his party members that a “unity of purpose” could be their “greatest strength”.
He spoke as SNP members at conference backed his motion calling for the Scottish Government to begin immediate negotiations with Westminster “to give democratic effect to Scotland becoming an independent country” if the party wins a majority of seats north of the border in the next general election.
This could either be achieved via the UK Government entering into talks on independence, backing the holding of another referendum, or transferring the powers for Holyrood to stage such a vote, the party clarified.
A bid to force the SNP to win a majority of votes cast at the next election to achieve this, however, was overwhelmingly rejected by party members.
This de facto referendum approach had been backed by Ms Sturgeon, but her successor made clear he could not support this.
Such a policy would see the party “setting ourselves a bar no other party sets itself”, he told the conference.
Mr Yousaf said: “If the Westminster parties want a test for popular support (for) the proposition of independence, let’s do it via a referendum. If they give us the powers, I will hold the referendum tomorrow.
“But in an election a majority of seats is a victory, plain and simple.”
Arguing that the SNP faces a “Westminster roadblock” to holding a second referendum, Mr Yousaf said his party must instead “use the next general election to put independence front and centre”.
In that he election, he said he wanted “page one line one” of the SNP manifesto for the general election to urge people to “vote SNP for Scotland to become an independent country”.
Veteran SNP MP Pete Wishart had put forward an amendment which would have required the party to win more than half of all votes cast in the election before independence talks could take place.
Mr Wishart said: “Our one job is to deliver a result which demonstrates that a majority of the people of Scotland want to become an independent nation.
“It will give us the real credibility when we approach international institutions, we will have Scotland’s express consent to redesign our relationship with Westminster.”
As he closed the debate, Mr Yousaf said talk about the process of achieving independence must now end, as he called for his party to instead focus on the impact leaving the UK could have.
He urged party members to unite behind the new strategy, saying: “Lets get on with talking about why independence is necessary. Let’s talk about how it can transform the lives of the people of Scotland.”
The Scottish First Minister and SNP leader continued: “I have been in this party for almost 20 years, we have had bumps in the road. Let’s not pretend the last six months have been anything other than challenging at times.
“But it is our unity, unity of purpose, which will be our greatest strength.”
He told activists: “Let’s get behind the cause because we know at least 50% of the people support independence. We need to drive that up.
“Because we will only become independent if we get more people to support our cause.”
Th SNP leader had earlier stressed that there is “no short cut that will get us to independence”, with Mr Yousaf arguing that “listening, campaigning, persuading” were necessary.
Commenting afterwards, Scottish Conservative constitution spokesperson Donald Cameron said: “This confirms that the SNP are hellbent on using the next general election as a proxy referendum.
“They will always put their relentless pursuit of independence above everything else.
“They have agreed to launch another independence campaign by the end of this year and are seeking to put independence for Scotland on the ballot paper.
“Humza Yousaf and the SNP are committed to wasting more taxpayers’ money on independence, rather than addressing the real priorities of Scotland.”
