The cross-border summit SNP leader Stephen Flynn believes can 'break Scottish independence impasse'

A special summit of political leaders and civic society should be convened to "break the impasse" over independence and decide the circumstances under which a second referendum would be triggered, the SNP's Westminster leader has said.

Stephen Flynn said it was time to have a "grown up discussion" about the issue to reach a conclusion and chart a route forward. He said this would require "bravery" on both sides of the constitutional divide, but argued it would be in the best interests of the people of Scotland.

First Minister John Swinney and Stephen Flynn, the SNP's Westminster leader | Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

"In the run up to the ten-year anniversary, I think it's long overdue that senior politicians in London and senior politicians in Edinburgh, and senior figures in civic society, need to get together and break the impasse which exists," he told the Scottish Parliamentary Journalists' Association.

"It would serve Scotland well for that to happen, because we can't, in my view, as a society prosper if we have another ten years of people saying 'next time, this' or UK politicians saying 'no, this isn't happening, now is not the time'.

"I don't think either route forward works, and that's why we need to have serious politicians having serious discussions in rooms together to come to a conclusion."

Mr Flynn is one of only nine SNP MPs after the party’s disastrous general election result, down from 48 in 2019. "The public are never wrong,” he said. “They cast their judgement. Our job is to respond to their concerns and to offer an alternative and better path going forward."

Wednesday will mark ten years since the independence referendum, which saw Scotland vote against becoming an independent country by 45 per cent to 55 per cent. However, Mr Fynn said “neither side has won” and “we're still stuck in this impasse of roughly 50/50”.

Scottish independence supporters themselves should recognise the need for a super-majority in any future referendum (Picture: Andy Buchanan) | AFP via Getty Images

The Aberdeen South MP said: "It's the one constant in Scottish politics. And I think in order to come to a conclusion and to move things forward, we need to understand the framework, and I think that would be of benefit to nationalism as much as it would be to unionism.

"And frankly, it would be of benefit to a whole swathe of the Scottish population who probably don't regard themselves as either, but would like to express their view. I think the time has come for the grown ups to get into the room and work together in the best interests of the Scottish people to get to a conclusion on this.

"Obviously, my views are well known. I want Scotland to be independent - shock horror. But we need to move this forward, and the only way to move it forward is dialogue."

Mr Flynn appeared to take a swipe at the strategy followed by former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, who advocated turning the general election into a de-facto referendum after successive prime ministers refused to agree to another vote.

Mr Flynn said: "The days of making promises of things meaning things that they don't need to end, and people on both sides of the constitutional divide need to come together to chart a course through which people can have their say. 

"That's going to take bravery on the side of nationalists, who believe you can just get on and do this. And I think it's going to require bravery on the side of unionists, who think that it's ok to say no.

"But I reckon for the vast majority of the Scottish public, that's what they would expect serious politicians to do in serious times."

He said senior political figures on both sides “should be in a room alongside civic society in Scotland plotting out how we come together and find a reasonable solution that maybe doesn't meet all of our expectations on either side, but allows the Scottish people to understand how they can have a vote on their future, because that's the most important thing”.

Mr Flynn’s comments echo those of former SNP MP Stewart McDonald, who argued his party should lead the way “in searching for a universally accepted and codified framework through which constitutional change can be brought about”.

Writing in The Scotsman after losing his seat in July, Mr McDonald said: “There is no shortage of decent, thoughtful people in Scottish public life from across the political spectrum who recognise the need for us to do so, and who I know would welcome the chance to work with us on finding a way through our current constitutional impasse. We must be willing to work with them.”

In Northern Ireland, the Good Friday Agreement states a border poll will be called by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland "if it appears likely to him that a majority of those voting would express a wish that Northern Ireland should cease to be part of the UK and form part of a united Ireland".

First Minister John Swinney recently told SNP activists he would work to convince voters independence is “urgent and essential”. Speaking at the party’s annual conference in Edinburgh earlier this month, he said: “One of the conclusions I have drawn from the Westminster election, and a fundamental commitment I will make to you is this: never again will we go into an election with people thinking ‘I like the idea of independence, but that can wait because I’m more concerned about the economy, or my job, or the cost of living or the NHS’.

“My promise to you is that I will make sure independence is understood as the route to a stronger and fairer country. Understood not as nice to have – but as urgent and essential here and now. That is how we will make independence happen.”