Humza Yousaf must focus on the real priorities of Scots, not constitutional squabbles - Scotsman comment

​It’s high time Holyrood ends its petty political squabbles and addresses the cost of living crisis and a struggling NHS

Humza Yousaf

It is never very far from the political discourse in Scotland, but if you are hoping to avoid the independence debate then look away in the coming days.

This coming Saturday sees the SNP’s delayed independence convention where First Minister Humza Yousaf will attempt to marshal his battered party into some kind of strategy amid bitter division on the way forward. It is an unenviable task from a much weaker position, but will still grab the headlines and spark fierce debate.

What Mr Yousaf knows is that his party must build sustained support before contemplating another referendum, something which was lacking even before the current crisis engulfed the SNP. He must also surely know that this cannot be a priority for the majority of Scots living in a cost of living crisis with a health service on its knees.

But he also has to play to his party, and so the “special independence convention” is set to be held.

In a recent interview he admitted that it was “pretty obvious that independence is not the consistent, settled will of the Scottish people”. Faced with losing 20 or more MPs at the next General Election on current polling, that situation does not look like changing any time soon.

A poll for our sister paper Scotland on Sunday showed yesterday that pro-independence supporters and SNP voters believe growing support for Yes to at least 60 per cent is the best strategy. And that in itself is an uphill task from where the numbers are at the moment.

As we have said before, and we reiterate again today, the single best way for the SNP to build support, and therefore for its main cause, is to demonstrate competent government, to show that it is using the extensive powers which it has well, and to spend taxpayers money wisely. On these three areas, it does not have a good track record.

Mr Yousaf has a chance to do things differently - and better - despite the mounting challenges from all angles.

But top of the list must be abandoning petty constitutional debates, and focusing on the real priorities facing the country.