New pro-independence party changes name following ruling

A new pro-independence party which aims to field candidates in next year’s Scottish Parliament elections has changed its name following a ruling from the Electoral Commission.

Alliance for Independence has reapplied to the commission under the proposed new name of Action for Independence, keeping the AFI acronym.

The commission said the “Alliance” name could be misleading to voters as it implied they represented all independence-supporting parties.

The AFI party was announced earlier this year by former SNP MSP Dave Thompson, who said they would contest only the regional list seats at Holyrood.

He says the party’s goal is to “max the Yes” by encouraging SNP voters to back them in the regional lists.

Thompson – who was the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch – said he was hopeful the name change would allow the party to stand in May’s election.

He said: “We actually thought alliance was self-explanatory, but the Electoral Commission didn’t share that view.

“We have no reason to think they’ll object to Action for Independence and while we were disappointed with their first decision, we had to propose a new name in order to get us registered to stand in the Holyrood poll next year.

“I think Action for Independence is a good choice as ‘action’ is a dynamic word and action for independence is something that many Yes supporters desperately want to see.

“That is something we will give them with our ‘max the Yes’ strategy – by backing a vote for the SNP in every constituency, and then a vote for Action for Independence on the regional list – which could result in an unassailable supermajority of pro-independence MSPs at Holyrood.”