SNP’s longest-serving MP says its independence strategy is a ‘total mess’

Pete Wishart said the SNP party had decided on a policy he did not understand

The SNP's longest-serving MP has branded the party’s current independence strategy a "total mess".

Pete Wishart said he did not understand the “confusing and contradictory” position the party backed at its annual conference in October. The MP for Perth and North Perthshire supports fighting the next election as a “de-facto” referendum.

In an interview with The Herald on Sunday, Mr Wishart said: “That would have been the thing to do. Now, we’ve decided on a policy at conference which I just don’t understand.

Pete Wishart

"It’s a total mess, it’s two contradictory things: if we get a majority of seats, we start independence negotiations, and almost concurrent we ask for more powers. It just doesn’t work.”

Nicola Sturgeon had wanted to use the next general election as a “de-facto” referendum by claiming victory if the SNP secured more than 50 per cent of the vote, but Humza Yousaf, her successor, ditched this strategy.

Instead, activists at the SNP conference in Aberdeen overwhelmingly backed his plan to use the coming election – expected to take place next year – to put independence “front and centre”. This would see the Scottish Government begin immediate negotiations with Westminster “to give democratic effect to Scotland becoming an independent country” if the SNP wins a majority of seats north of the border.

This could be achieved by 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.

In practice, it would likely mean simply using the result to push for a second referendum, which has long been the SNP’s position.

Mr Wishart, who has been an MP since 2001, said Westminster would probably tell the SNP to “get stuffed” if it won a de-facto referendum.

However, he said it would mean “that Scotland had voted for independence”, adding: “That changes everything. We could start to act like an independent nation, push beyond the Scottish Parliament’s powers as we had the backing of the majority of the Scottish people”.

He said the existing strategy was “confusing and contradictory”, and “nobody seriously believes” independence negotiations would begin.

Mr Wishart added: “We just can’t get around the credibility factor. I don’t believe that’s something the UK Government would readily concede, and I don’t think the people who proposed this motion believe that either.”

Mr Yousaf previously said “page one, line one” of the SNP’s general election manifesto will urge people to vote for the party “for Scotland to become an independent country”.

He said: “Let’s get behind the cause. Because we know at least 50 per cent of people support independence. We need to drive that up because whatever process we decide we will only become independent if we get more people to support the cause.”

The First Minister wants the party to move on from debating the process of achieving independence. However, many remain unconvinced by his strategy.

A spokesman for the SNP said it is “focused on winning the argument and building the case amongst the people of Scotland, and support for independence continues to be around 50 per cent or higher”.

He added: "The SNP had a lengthy and inclusive debate on independence strategy at our autumn conference, and the general election is the next opportunity for people in Scotland to make their voice heard, which is why page one, line one of the SNP manifesto will read 'vote SNP for Scotland to become an independent country'."