Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousef, has hit out at party members unhappy with his leadership. He told those not committed to Independence, “I don’t need you. “
The SNP leader made the remarks as he tried to limit the damage from the shock defection of MSP and former leadership contender Ash Regan to Alba last weekend.
Ms Regan, who quit the Scottish Government last year over her opposition to Scotland’s gender reforms, is the third senior figure to leave since Mr Yousaf took over earlier this year.
He was quoted saying, ‘I think if you do not want to advance the cause of independence – and the SNP is the largest vehicle to advance the cause of independence – if you’re not committed to that, then frankly, I don’t need you in the party, it’s as simple as that’.
It would seem Mr Yousef, and by the sounds of it, Ash Regan and some of the other Snp politicos don’t grasp general politics and their position within it.
Yousaf will be correct when he states that Regan was elected because “SNP” was beside her name. They were ALL elected for the party they represent at Westminster and Holyrood levels. That’s how it works.
People by and large vote for the least bad option and absolutely not on the force of personality of an individual. There would be people who would vote for a tub of lard or Jonny the Monkey if it said SNP beside them. That is how far we have fallen.
As for Ms Regan and the other defectors, they cite the SNP’s lack of focus on Independence as their main reason, amongst others, for quitting. However, they, along with their former colleagues, seem to miss a glaring point in all this, that being, they are supposed to be running the bloody country!
Ash Regan’s defection, for example, is one of what is believed to be many more. As stated before, she was a former SNP leadership contender.
49 yr. Old Regan will become the first representative for Alex Salmond’s fledgling party in the Scottish Parliament.
Ms Regan received a standing ovation when she appeared on stage alongside Alex Salmond after the surprise announcement was made at the Alba party conference in Glasgow.
Ms Regan said: “Sadly, it has become increasingly clear that the SNP has lost its focus on Independence, the foundation of its existence.
‘I could not, in good conscience, continue to be part of a party that has drifted from its path and its commitment to achieving independence as a matter of urgency.’
“I am proud to become the first Alba member of the Scottish Parliament. I do this with a clear focus on reinvigorating the cause of Independence.”
SNP leader Humza Yousef, who beat Regan and Katie Forbes in the leadership contest last March, was less than flattering about his former colleague: “I can tell you categorically that the reason she’s in that parliament is that she had the SNP logo next to her name on the ballot paper.”
He went on to say she was “not a particularly great loss” to the party
As much as Yousef can sugarcoat this, it would seem that the SNP list of disaffected supporters, activists, members, and elected representatives is growing so quickly it might soon surpass their list of members under investigation for criminal activity.
Fortunately for the first minister, he is correct: pretty much any old punter could become an MP or MSP if they have SNP beside their name. Lucky for him, his party are still seen as the least worst option north of the border.
And that’s the problem with single-issue parties when they rise to power. They all fight over who wants Independence the most and lose sight of what matters the most to people: doctor’s appointments, bus services, and cost of living. All these things suffer because the people voted in to sort it out are too busy squabbling over the one core belief that brought them together.
We at the Homeland Party are not a single-issue party. We are not a one-trick pony, and as the SNP joins the Tories and labour in a pile marked “tried and failed” with the greens and Alba heading the same way, we will see the likes of ourselves rise.
