SNP draws up petition for independence

Published on Saturday 23 June 2007 14:14

THE SNP is set to launch an independence petition in a bid to force MSPs to agree to a referendum.

The party's National Council was expected to agree to the plan as it met in the Capital's Our Dynamic Earth today.

Activists are said to believe the parliament would be left with no choice but to accept the referendum plan if the petition was signed by 100,000 people or more.

The SNP government is committed to introducing a bill paving the way for a referendum but it does not have the support of enough MSPs from other parties to secure its passage through parliament.

The resolution for the National Council has been tabled by the party's Merchiston and Morningside branch. It calls on the SNP's National Executive Committee to "explore ways of engaging with the public", including a "citizens' initiative".

A senior SNP source was reported today as saying the resolution was almost certain to be passed.

The highlight of the National Council, which meets at least twice a year and is the SNP's main policy-making forum between annual conferences, will be Mr Salmond's first speech to a party audience as First Minister.