SNP members should use the party’s deputy leadership contest to tell Nicola Sturgeon they want a second independence referendum within 18 months, one of the candidates has said.
As nominations closed to find a replacement for former MP Angus Robertson, councillor Chris McEleny said he wanted the issue to be a central part of the coming contest.
Mr McEleny, the leader of the SNP group on Inverclyde Council, activist Julie Hepburn and Economy secretary Keith Brown will compete for the position over the next eight weeks.
Referendum split set to dominate SNP deputy race
The only candidate to have made the timing of a referendum part of his platform, Mr McEleny suggested SNP members, not just Ms Sturgeon, should help set a date.
He said: “The membership of the SNP should have a leading role in helping inform the key decisions we make as a party.
"This election comes at an opportune moment to help inform our leader, Nicola Sturgeon, of the wider party’s opinion when she makes a decision in the autumn on what course of action best protects the interests of Scotland.
“If SNP members vote for me, they have the opportunity to make their voices heard that they, like me, believe we should have a referendum on independence within the next 18 months.”
SNP deputy leadership favourite ducks question on referendum timing
After calling for a second referendum in March 2017, Ms Sturgeon “reset” her plans after the SNP’s general election losses and is due to update Holyrood “on the precise timescale for offering people a choice over the country’s future” in the autumn.
There is growing division in the independence movement over whether to use the “triple lock” mandate Ms Sturgeon said she secured last year before the 2021 Holyrood election, or play a longer game and wait until public opinion is more favourable.
Polls consistently show most Scots opposed to both independence and a referendum.
MP Pete Wishart and former deputy leader Jim Sillars last week urged a cautious, pragmatic approach, and said the Yes movement needed to build a new case for independence before rushing into a defeat that could set their cause back decades.
However MP Angus Brendan MacNeil said there should be a referendum by the end of next year, and that once a date was set “energy and enthusiasm will begin”.
Mr McEleny said there should be a referendum next year, and would be making the case at ten hustings over the next month, before ballots are issued to members on May 18.
Mr Brown emphasised his experience, with 30 years in the party and ten in government.
He said: “The principles and priorities of the SNP remain independence and promoting Scotland's interests. I'm ready to take on the job of Depute Leader and help every member give their all to move Scotland forward to independence."
Ms Hepburn said she wanted to harness the power of more than 100,000 SNP members to “launch a fresh campaign for independence” and win it “as soon as possible”.
She said: “At this point in time our Depute Leader should be focused on the internal work to harness and empower our vast membership, drive through internal reform and the build the best possible campaign for independence.
“If we simply elect a Depute to tour the TV studios to give their perspective on independence, we are missing a massive opportunity to empower the best political resource in Scotland – our members.
“In 2014, with less than a quarter of the members we have today, the SNP delivered a referendum and helped to build a movement that brought us tantalisingly close to winning independence. Imagine what we could achieve if we fully harness the vast potential of our mass membership today.”
Voting takes place until June 8, when the result will be announced at the SNP conference.
SNP business convener Derek Mackay said: “This election provides us with the opportunity to take stock of our achievements, refocus our efforts and refresh our agenda.
“Amid the chaos and catastrophe at Westminster, this is a time for us to focus on hope and our ambition for Scotland.
“The new Depute Leader has a vital role to play, supporting Nicola Sturgeon and spearheading our policy agenda for the years ahead.”
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