18 Feb Sturgeon resignation is a ‘great opportunity’ to develop a new independence strategy, says Alba MP
NICOLA Sturgeon’s resignation represents a “great opportunity” for nationalists to develop a new strategy for Scottish independence, according to Alba Party MP Neale Hanvey.
He told GB news: “Certainly it was a surprise, I think everybody was caught off guard at the timing. Although any acknowledgement of recent events being a contributing factor just didn’t feel particularly authentic.
“It has been an extraordinarily difficult last few weeks of her tenure and to think that that didn’t have any bearing on the decision, is fanciful really.
“However, what it says, is that there’s a great opportunity for the independence movement to get a new strategy together, because we’ve been lacking a clear strategy for some time now.
“Many of us have been incredibly frustrated by the lack of progress made in the last few weeks, it’s fair to say that the independence movement has gone backwards.”
In a discussion with Esther McVey and Philip Davies on GB News, he said: “It’s a surprise but with every change comes great opportunity.
“We’ve had eight years of delay, to be honest, I know, the media likes to talk about Nicola Sturgeon going on about independence all the time but it’s one thing to talk about an issue just before an election and quite another thing to actually have a strategy for implementation.
“That’s been something that’s frustrated a great many of us over the past number of years.
“So now is the opportunity, as I say, to get that strategy on the table for discussion.”
He added: “After the UK Supreme Court decision, the Alba party wasted no time in meeting to discuss all of the relevant issues that related to the decision of the UK Supreme Court and to begin our planning for response, and we’ve been engaging in that response.
“Since then, we are continuing to do that…and we are continuing to build the case for independence.
“I don’t think there’s any appetite to pause any campaign for independence.
“Independence is our gateway to a stronger economy, a better and fairer community. And it’s not something that can be shelved for any duration of time.”
Asked if the Alba Party and the SNP might merge, Mr Hanvey said: “There’s a lot of repair work that needs to be done with very many people for that to happen.
“But the reality is that the purpose of the Alba Party was not to be in competition with the SNP, it was to complement the SNP.
“To date, the SNP have rejected our help, although recently they have been supportive of my interventions in Parliament.
“So, you know, there is hope that we will be able to have a constructive relationship but I don’t think by any stretch it spells the end for Alba as a political force.”
