Graeme McCormick: SNP member vying to challenge John Swinney

Yesterday Mr McCormick told The Herald's Andrew Learmonth he was confident of reaching the required level of support.

Mr McCormick has been known before to be keen to take on senior figures in the party with issues he doesn't agree with.

READ MORE: SNP member McCormick faces backlash over leadership bid

During the party's annual conference last year he described Humza Yousaf's independence strategy as "flatulence in a trance".

He told party delegates at the event in Aberdeen in October: “What we have here is flatulence in a trance because we are being offered things that nobody knows what we are talking about — ‘this thing’ and ‘that thing’ and all the rest of it.”

At last year's annual party conference, Mr McCormick challenged the then party's president Michael Russell for his role, losing by 79 votes to 599 in a ballot of delegates.

John Swinney pictured in Holyrood with Nicola Sturgeon when she was First Minister.  Photo PA.

In his draft pitch to become SNP president sent to The Herald last year he promised he could deliver independence within a year.

The timescale would be six months shorter than that proposed by Alex Salmond ahead of the 2014 referendum. The then First Minister's white paper suggested independence would be achieved on March 16, 2016, some 18 months after the September 2014 referendum if Scots had voted Yes.

"History tells us that there comes a point in the march of a nation when the old traditions must be replaced with the floodgates of opportunity to achieve our mission; Independence," said Mr McCormick in a document sent to the Herald setting out his pitch to challenge Mr Russell.

"As National President I offer you the key to the floodgates so that Scotland will be an independent nation state in 12 months. 

READ MORE: John Swinney reacts to Graeme McCormick SNP leadership bid

"But to get us over the line we, the members of the SNP, must embrace independence and not vacillate between just advancing independence and asking permission. We are a nation, not a pressure group."

He added: "The next election must be the Independence Election just as Mr Yousaf said at Dundee. There has never been a better time to gain Independence. It is within our grasp.

"The electorate supports, or is broadly sympathetic to it, yet the SNP’s appeal is waning.

"Therein lies the warning for the SNP. Managing devolution is not now enough. We must replace it. Our politicians must lead us to deliver our historic purpose and all our candidates must show their full commitment to the Independence Plan to get us over the line."

READ MORE: Poll: SNP to lose 28 MPs as Labour takes lead

Mr McCormick, previously stood in 2021 for the role of party president but later withdrew his nomination saying he had ticked the box inadvertently.

A solicitor by profession, he is convener of the SNP's Dumbarton constituency branch and a director of the pro Yes campaign organisation Business for Scotland.

He is not a well known figure outside the party, but is familiar to many inside the organisation where he is known to campaign on land reform issues.

The Herald has contacted Mr McCormick to find out if he will be putting his name forward before a deadline of noon tomorrow.He has not yet responded to The Herald's request.

But today he faced criticism from senior figures in the party for challenging Mr Swinney and potentially drawing out the process of putting in place a new leader - while some Pro-UK figures rallied to his cause.

Some in the SNP fear a race could focus public attention on internal party divisions in the coming weeks ahead of a general election, expected later this year.

Pollster Mark Diffley noted the party's concerns on Twitter should Mr Cormick put himself forward.

"To put it mildly, if this happens it is not the situation that either  John Swinney or the SNP will want. A three week series of debates and hustings which delays the inevitable, exposes divisions and costs money is not what the party needs right now," Mr Diffley said.

In TV interviews this morning, Mr Swinney warned potential rivals about entering the race saying it would "delay the ability for the [party] to start its rebuilding".

Responding to his intervention, Gillian Martin, SNP MSP for Aberdeenshire East, and minister for energy, just transition and fair work, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "The question anyone who cares about our cause should ask themselves is, are my actions furthering that cause? The question that anyone cares about our country should ask is, is what I’m doing good for my country. John Swinney can answer a confident yes on both counts."

Former SNP minister Marco Biagi, now a councillor in Edinburgh, wrote on X: "While all 70k SNP members have the right under the party's constitution to stand for election as leader, anyone considering it desperately needs to grow a sense of perspective. Read the room."

Earlier this month, the SNP announce the timetable of leadership contest.

Under the timetable, nominations opened on Monday 29 April at 11:59pm, will close at noon tomorrow, while any potential ballot would open on Monday 13 May at Noon and close on Monday 27 May at noon.

Writing on X today some pro-Union activists appeared to relish to prospect of Mr McCormick standing.

Sam Taylor, who runs the pro-UK group These Islands, posted Mr McCormick's speech from last year's SNP conference.

"Leadership contender Graeme McCormick gets a rapturous reception at last year’s special SNP conference in Dundee. (He proposes a unilateral declaration of independence.)," he wrote.

Mr Taylor also noted: "John Swinney writes off Graeme McCormick’s chances before the contest has even begun. Very disrespectful."

He also wrote: "Who is Graeme McCormick, the SNP activist rumoured to have secured the 100 nominations required to stand against John Swinney for the leadership? He made a name for himself at last year’s conference with the memorable “flatulence in a trance” speech."