Scottish independence: Humza Yousaf's election plan is an utterly unacceptable, anti-democratic outrage – Scotsman comment

SNP MP Pete Wishart says it would not be credible to ‘try and assert some sort of move towards independence if you’re not carrying the majority of people with you’

For even the most ardent unionist, it would be too much to expect an SNP conference without any mention of independence. However, there still needs to be a healthy dose of realism.

Instead, Humza Yousaf and Westminster party leader Stephen Flynn are proposing that if the SNP wins the most seats at the next Westminster general election – which a new YouGov poll suggests they will – then this will give them the power to “begin immediate negotiations with the UK Government to give democratic effect to Scotland becoming an independent country”.

Given the poll puts the SNP on 38 per cent, what Yousaf and Flynn’s motion essentially means is that independence, in their view, could be achieved even if a majority of people in Scotland were opposed to it – the ‘will of the people’ could be ignored and a minority could enforce their views on the majority.

Some SNP politicians see the obvious problem. Pete Wishart MP, who plans to try to amend the leadership’s conference motion, said it would not be credible to “try and assert some sort of move towards independence if you’re not carrying the majority of people with you”. It would also be an utterly unacceptable, anti-democratic outrage. And, to return to reality, the plan stands no chance whatsoever of achieving its aim.

What it could do, however, is plunge Scotland into months on end of political chaos in which real issues – the state of the NHS, crumbling concrete in schools, island ferry cancellations, the transition to a net-zero economy, and so on – are sidelined, as increasingly bitter rhetoric flies across the Border.

Instead of seeking to perpetuate the ‘neverendum’, the SNP would be much better advised to focus on good government and demonstrating their competence. This would be in the interests of the country, whatever its constitutional position, and also the nationalists, as it might persuade tentative independence supporters to trust them with the enormous task of creating a new nation.

In attempting to rush Scotland into independence, Yousaf, Flynn and co are likely to trip and fall. More haste, less speed.