I’M distressed that Humza Yousaf has resigned as First Minister and leader of the SNP. I’m even more distressed that he didn’t take on the Unionists and fight a Holyrood election campaigning on the delivery of independence by instructing our MPs to dissolve the Union following a successful vote.
With such a significant level of independence support, the risk was minimal. Why didn’t he have a go?
Distress continues with the politicians falling in behind John Swinney. While I have a great deal of time for John, a “safe pair of hands” is the last thing the SNP needs if it wishes to appeal to the independence supporters who have walked away.
READ MORE: Owen Jones: Those celebrating Humza Yousaf's fall should beware
I find it deeply disrespectful to the thousands of SNP members that salaried politicians would use their influence to bounce the party into a coronation. Where are the activist voices and why aren’t they given an airing?
What’s happening is a concerted effort to avoid having a proper debate not only about the relationship between the activist and the salaried cohort of the party but more importantly to decide the most fundamental issue: is managing devolution compatible with prosecuting independence?
Graeme McCormick
Arden
I WAS very surprised to hear that Humza Yousaf had resigned, because he could have faced the challenge from the Tories – who had Unionist and Green support – by getting support from Ash Regan.
It is clear that Humza was not strong enough, or confident enough in his own ability, to forge a path forward against dissenting voices. Indeed it may well be that this weakness of Humza’s was why so many of the paid politicians in the SNP, and the Scottish Green Party, were so keen to support him for leader, because they felt they could influence him. It is sad, because Humza appears to me to be a very decent individual.
READ MORE: SNP leadership polling finds SNP voters back John Swinney
We all need to learn the lesson from this experience. The SNP does not need another weak, continuity leader who the establishment and the media will be happy with, it needs a new, strong, confident individual who will take up the interests of the Scottish people even when that means challenging the Unionists, vested interests, and the UK establishment. John Swinney is a very decent chap, but he just is not the leader the SNP need now.
Kate Forbes, on the other hand, would not be the first choice of many of the paid politicians in the SNP and will be attacked by the media, as she was last time. I take the view that any politician who the establishment and the media don’t want is probably a good sign for the people. Kate seems to me to be an intelligent, competent and confident young woman, who would not let others push her around. She seems to me to be just what the SNP needs at this time.
Andy Anderson
Ardrossan
LISTENING to the Unionist parties in Scotland and the Unionist media, the glee in their voices, words and actions is unbelievable and disappointing. Anas Sarwar was salivating on morning radio – he was as high as a kite!
Do these folk really care about Scotland and her folks, or is it all about helping their Westminster masters keep Scotland down?
READ MORE: Anas Sarwar stumbles when challenged on Holyrood election call
It’s a bit rich from Anas and the Dame, as Labour was the party that left us with 50 years of PPI to pay and they were the party that refused to give the Glasgow women their equal pay!
I look forward to SNP presenting an agenda for Scotland and her folks that puts independence at its heart.
To achieve this we need to make changes that prioritise our independence. I would like to see us with:
1) A First Minster for Scotland who leads in parliament and in our country.
2) A separate leader of the SNP who can lead and be the voice of our political independence strategy.
The wider Yes movement need to identify an independent leader with a strong voice capable of uniting the Yes movement with the political vehicle for independence, ie the SNP.
Together, the Yes movement and the SNP, focussed on an agreed independence strategy, will move us forward and get us there.
This would allow our First Minister to focus on governing the country and improving the lives of folks in Scotland.
Jan Ferrie
Ayrshire
TUESDAY’S National read like some Kafkaesque stramash and whamjamclamfrey with regards the future SNP leadership.
In the red corner you had the John Swinney “safe pair of hands” brigade out in force and the usual warnings from the same Swinney sources about “right-wing, religious nutter” Kate Forbes in the blue corner.
Milling around outside the ring you have a lot of lightweights who would like to be a contender; “honest, if I only could put on some political weight”.
READ MORE: SNP source calls for 'deal' between John Swinney and Kate Forbes
To get my vote I would want the contenders to answer one simple question: “Are you willing to go to jail in the pursuit of Scottish independence?”
Because that is what it will take to force the issue of independence, as the idea that somehow a future Labour government – protecting its own selfish political and economic interests at Westminster – will give Scotland a Section 30 and a referendum is one about which even the Pictsies would say; “Aye right, yees boggin coup o’ scunners”.
Peter Thomson
via email
IN October 2023, Spain’s Pedro Sanchez and Scotland’s Humza Yousaf were the only European leaders to unequivocally call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Shame on the rest of them, including Keir Starmer.
Alastair McLeish
Edinburgh
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