MICHAEL Russell has said his first priority in his new role as SNP president will be to ensure a “totally unified approach” to the coming campaign to deliver Scottish independence.

The Constitutional Affairs Secretary was elected to the top post on St Andrew’s Day at the end of his party’s annual conference taking almost 70% of the votes in the first round of voting over rivals Craig Murray and Corri Wilson.

He succeeds Ian Hudghton, the former MEP, who took over from Winnie Ewing in 2005.

“I am very honoured and grateful for the overwhelming support of the party. I have been a member of the SNP since 1974,” he said.

“Over the years the presidency is a post that has been held by some of those whom I most admire and respect in the movement and whose contribution has been vital in securing our progress.

“I will do my very best to measure up to the standards of service and effort they set over the years and I look forward to working with all party members to further our cause and achieve the aim for which the party was founded 86 years ago – to achieve independence for Scotland.”

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He added: “We are closer to that goal than ever. The First Minister and I have both said that if the people of Scotland re-elect the SNP next May, passing the Referendum bill should be a priority.

“The matter of who leads the process of recovery from Covid is already on the agenda and must be resolved in Scotland’s favour. We have also both indicated that it should be possible to move quickly on that matter.”

He went on: “A significant and clear election victory is needed for that process to get underway and electoral success comes from unity of purpose. The SNP must have every member working enthusiastically and well together and my first priority will be to support the new office bearers and NEC in ensuring an open, democratic, very focused and totally unified approach to the coming campaign.”

The SNP presidency is traditionally an honorary role with the party’s constitution stating that it is a position elected for distinguished service to the party and not an executive post.

Russell is due to stand down as an MSP ahead of the 2021 Holyrood election. He served as education secretary from 2009 to 2014 in Alex Salmond’s governments and has been in his current role in Nicola Sturgeon’s Government since 2018. Ewing became known as “Madame Ecosse” when as an MEP she promoted an outward looking politics.

She is perhaps best known for declaring: “Stop the world, Scotland wants to get on” – a sentiment echoed by many in the SNP today.