At the Scottish National Party (SNP) Conference recently held in Aberdeen, delegates endorsed the strategy of their leader, Humza Yousaf which advocates for independence. Yousaf urged the party to embrace patience and unity in their quest for autonomy.
In his address to the conference hosted in a smaller auditoriym compared to the previous year, Yousaf exerted an effort to moderate the anticipation of SNP members who eagerly await immediate transitions. Stressing on the phrase “there is no shortcut that will get us to independence”, he signaled the need for the SNP to invest in building an unfaltering majority favoring separation from the United Kingdom.
Yousaf highlighted the importance of shifting focus from the method to the intent of independence. He maintained that ultimate success would be the product of active listening, campaigning, and convincing others: essentially concentrating on the ‘why’ over the ‘how’ of independence.
Despite this, a considerable part of the conference was indeed devoted to discussing the ‘how’. In conclusion, Yousaf’s strategy for independence was massively supported, distancing from the suggestion proposed by his predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon, to treat the next general election as a pseudo-referendum.
Instead, the party resolved to mandate an actual referendum if it secures the majority of Scottish seats at Westminster, setting the threshold at 29 even if it clinched 48 seats back in 2019.
Having faith in this approach, delegate Emily Cheung from Edinburgh expressed, “I trust Humza on this. I think he’s a very charismatic guy and, honestly, if there’s anyone who can bring people over, it’s probably him.”
According to Yousaf, if SNP relishes success in the elections, writing “vote SNP for Scotland to become an independent country” will be the opening promise of the party’s manifesto. This suggestion has been dismissed by both Labour and the Conservatives, who are firm on blocking a second referendum.
Following the SNP’s failed attempts to hold a referendum in partnership with the Scottish Green Party, due to the UK government’s and the Supreme Court’s refusal, the delegates moved to seek London’s assistance in devolving more power to Edinburgh to counter the pressing challenges of living costs and climate change.
Other propositions from Tommy Sheppard, SNP’s MP for Edinburgh East includes taking control over employment rights, the minimum wage, energy company windfall taxes, and overseas worker visas. Sheppard hinted that the party has a contingency plan of reverting to a de facto referendum during the 2026 Scottish parliamentary elections, in case other methods fail.
There seems to be a level of apprehension in the upper SNP ranks about a possible gain for Labour in the next general elections, as some polls suggest. This reflects a potential disadvantage for the SNP, who has been the major driver towards independence since the 1967 by-election victory in South Lanarkshire’s Hamilton.
However, under Yousaf’s leadership, the SNP is facing several struggles, prominent among them being the police investigation into the party’s funding. Despite these challenges, Yousaf remains steadfast in his pursuit of independence.
Nevertheless, while support for the SNP seems to be declining, the backing for independence remains consistent at just below the halfway mark. Joanna Cherry, MP for Edinburgh South West, argued for the need to revert focus to basic issues that impact the people more directly, insisting that the party’s independence strategy should firmly align with these issues.
The ability of the party to successfully attain this balance could very well determine the future of the United Kingdom.
