Outgoing SNP MSP urges party to work with Alba

SNP MSP Alex Neil has urged his party to work with Alex Salmond’s Alba Party to achieve a “supermajority” of MSPs in Holyrood in support of independence.

Neil, who served as a minister under Salmond, said in a statement on Friday that a supermajority is needed to “force Boris Johnson’s hand” on an independence vote.

The plea comes after the SNP unveiled its manifesto on Thursday, in which the party said a simple majority of independence supporting MSPs should be enough for another referendum to be held.

However, such a majority has existed in Holyrood since at least 2011, with the Greens helping the SNP over the line in the last parliamentary term.

Neil said: “Since 2016 the SNP and Scottish Green Party have, between them, had a pro-independence overall majority of nine in the Scottish Parliament.

“Despite that there has been zero progress during the past five years in bringing about a second independence referendum.

“We cannot allow that situation to continue for another five years.

“The experience of the last five years teaches us that a supermajority of pro-independence MSPs will be needed to force Boris Johnson’s hand on the constitutional question.

“Unfortunately, under the current system for electing the Scottish Parliament there is no realistic possibility of any one party winning such a supermajority by itself.

“To achieve a supermajority requires all the pro-independence parties working in partnership together.”

Neil has not said he will leave the SNP and join Alba, in the same way as other high profile members such as MPs Kenny MacAskill and Neale Hanvey, but he has called for the two parties to put “self interests” and “personalities” aside.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly said she will not work with Salmond and his party, most recently in an ITV News interview on Thursday, though the former first minister has left the door open for such a link-up.