Humza Yousaf pleaded with SNP activists to end their obsession with independence ‘process’ today as he tried to rally the party in his conference speech.
The Scottish First Minister warned supporters they must ‘concentrate not on the how but on the why’ to bolster the flagging separatist dream.
He admitted that more work is needed to build a ‘sustainable majority’ for splitting the UK.
After a gathering blighted by internal wrangling, Mr Yousaf tried to shift to focus to policy by promising to spend an extra £100million a year on the NHS in Scotland – saying the cash could slash waiting lists.
He declared that council tax will be frozen north of the year and complained that Westminster – rather than Covid or the Ukraine war – was to blame for the cost of living crisis.
However, the SNP’s leader problems were underlined when his mention of Nicola Sturgeon resulted in her second standing ovation in two days. His predecessor was arrested and released pending further inquiries by police investigating the SNP’s finances.
Humza Yousaf pleaded with SNP activists to tone down their obsession with forcing an independence referendum today
The SNP’s leader problems were underlined when his mention of Nicola Sturgeon resulted in her second standing ovation in two days
Mr Yousaf has conceded he will only push the referendum issue if the separatists win more than half of Scottish seats at the election – far from guaranteed following a slide in the polls
Mr Yousaf was upstaged at conference yesterday as Nicola Sturgeon made a dramatic appearance
The address in Aberdeen comes after Mr Yousaf conducted another U-turn in a bid to quell bitter internal wrangling about how to purse the independence dream.
Ms Sturgeon previously vowed to make the next general election a de facto referendum on breaking up the UK, after the Supreme Court ruled she did not have power to hold one without permission from Westminster.
When he took over Mr Yousaf indicated that he would declare a mandate for independence if the SNP won more Scottish seats than anyone else at the election.
But as he scrambled to defuse the issue earlier his week Mr Yousaf conceded he will only push the issue if the separatists win more than half of seats – far from guaranteed following a slide in the polls and a stinging defeat in the Rutherglen by-election.
There will be 57 MPs in Scotland following boundary changes, making the threshold 29, far fewer than the 48 the SNP secured in 2019.
‘At our conference on Sunday we decided – together – on the process for winning our country’s independence,’ he said.
‘This was a very important debate. But if I can be so bold, in a room full of committed independence supporters – it is not process arguments that will achieve our goal.
‘Around half of our fellow Scots already support independence. I have no doubt that we can turn that half into a sustained majority. And we will do so when we concentrate not on the how – but on the why.’
Mr Yousaf tempered his warning about the obsession with process by stressing that he is adding the words ‘independence for Scotland’ next to the SNP’s entry on ballot papers for the election next year. There had been concerns that will kill attempts to persuade pro-Union voters that they will stand up for the whole of Scotland.
‘At the next election, page one, line one of our manifesto will say ‘Vote SNP for Scotland to become an independent country’.
‘And that’s because independence is about building a better Scotland.
‘It’s about raising living standards. It’s about protecting our NHS. Above all, it’s about a stronger economy. An economy that works for everyone who lives here.’
Mr Yousaf was upstaged at conference yesterday as Ms Sturgeon made a dramatic appearance.
The former First Minister claimed her presence was ‘not at all’ a distraction for Mr Yousaf, saying he is ‘doing a fantastic job’ as leader.
She added: ‘I don’t think there is any doubt, from what I’ve seen, about who is in charge of this conference – it’s Humza Yousaf.’
The SNP were dealt a shattering blow earlier this month as Labour overturned a majority of more than 5,000 to seize Rutherglen by a margin of 9,400
The former First Minister said she has not spoken to police again since her arrest as part of the police probe into the SNP, where she was subsequently released without charge pending further investigation.
She said the atmosphere at the conference had been ‘absolutely fantastic’ despite the main hall getting exchanged for a smaller room at The Event Complex Aberdeen, and the capacity being reduced to 1,200.
Scottish Conservative chairman Craig Hoy said: ‘Humza Yousaf may have publicly said he was delighted to see his predecessor turn up in Aberdeen, but privately he must find it utterly galling that she’s stealing the limelight away from him.
‘He’s finding himself having to pick up the pieces of the divided party she left behind.’
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
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