By Maggie Ritchie

FORMER SNP deputy leader Jim Sillars has stated that the independence movement must break its ‘deadly tie’ to the SNP.

As the party faithful head to Glasgow for this weekend’s conference, Sillars condemned the ‘monumental political misjudgment’ that tied a second independence referendum to the issue of Brexit.

In a shock move and a no-holds-barred attack on Nicola Sturgeon, the veteran nationalist called for those who want an independent Scotland to distance themselves from the SNP.

“The independence movement must reconsider their relationship with the SNP, especially in light of the error-strewn course taken by leaders with no strategic nous, out of their depth.”

Sturgeon’s decision in March to call a fresh independence vote by the middle of 2019 was seen as the main reason the party lost 21 MPs and half a million votes in the general election in June.

Sillars was one of the few prominent nationalists to declare himself in the Leave camp, while Nicola Sturgeon has been vocal in her criticism of Brexit.

Writing in the Daily Record, Sillars condemned the first resolution at the SNP conference, which he described as ‘an unthinking paen of praise for the EU’.

And he argued that the SNP’s ‘sucking up to Brussels’ will only serve to scupper any chance of an independent Scotland.

“In sucking up to Brussels, the SNP may hope to end EU resistance to independence. It won’t. While the SNP think they are using Brussels against Westminster, it’s the other way round.

“Naive Scots serve Brussels’ purpose just now but we will get the same answer next time as in 2014: ‘You can join, but wait in the queue.’

“As long as the EU are there, denying Scots membership, we have fatal uncertainty injected into our debate.

He added: “The movement must no longer be seen as an adjunct of the SNP, a deadly tie that makes independence hostage to their electoral fate.

“The movement won’t win independence until it is itself truly independent.”