The fallout from Humza Yousaf’s decision to stand down as First Minister continues to dominate our columns.
The First Minister said in his resignation speech that “independence feels frustratingly close” and that he was “absolutely certain” his successor would get over the finish line.
Read the full text of his speech here 👈
Today, however, one of our readers argues that entrusting the cause of independence to the SNP – or any other Holyrood party – is doomed to failure.
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Willie Maclean of Milngavie writes: "The demise of Humza Yousaf demonstrates once again that entrusting the cause of independence to a party within the devolved Holyrood parliament is doomed to failure.
"It is too easy for opponents of independence to obscure the constitutional issue by citing matters such as ferry procurement, gender issues, educational attainment, drug deaths and NHS performance as if they were reasonable yardsticks against which to judge the case for constitutional self-determination. It is difficult to dismiss the argument that 'obsession' with independence is a distraction to the day to day performance of the Scottish Government.
"The present interregnum is a good time for the independence movement to distance itself from the Holyrood status quo. Let the SNP under its new leader concentrate on Holyrood, withdraw from contesting Westminster elections and leave the wider independence movement – under one banner – to stand its own candidates for Westminster, campaigning strongly on a single-issue manifesto of Scottish independence.
"The forthcoming UK General Election would then give the people of our Scottish nation the opportunity to vote in a de facto referendum with a binary choice between unionism and a modern, pro-European, independent Scottish nation."
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