The SNP has backed First Minister Humza Yousaf’s amended strategy for Scottish independence at the SNP conference.
The conference was held in Aberdeen from the 15th to the 17th of October.
This new revised mandate states that the SNP has to win a majority of Scottish seats in Westminster in the next general elections to invoke new independence talks.
If the party wins a majority, they will begin immediate negotiations “to give democratic effect to Scotland becoming an independent country.”
The SNP clarified that these talks with the UK government would be on either starting new independence negotiations, backing the holding of a new independence referendum or transferring the power to hold a referendum to Holyrood.
The strategy also stated that the party should alternatively consider using the Scottish parliament election in 2026 as a “de-facto referendum.”
Moreover, the agreed strategy proposes to prepare for independence by: detailing conditions for independence negotiations, working on a draft interim constitution and on plans to rejoin the EU.
The original strategy stated that the SNP would demand new negotiations with the leading party in London, if they won most of the seats.
This would have meant that the party would have to be larger than every other party, but would not necessarily require a majority.
The revised strategy comes after Yousaf was put under pressure by his party following the SNP’s by-election loss in Rutherglen and Hamilton West.
The SNP previously had 44 seats of the 59 in UK parliament, however they currently hold 43 after SNP MP Lisa Cameron defected to the Conservative Party last week.
This means they would need to win 29 seats in the next general election to start talks, meaning they could lose 14 seats and still see that as endorsement by the Scottish people to start new negotiations.
Additionally, Yousaf vowed that the manifesto would read: “on page one, line one: Vote SNP for Scotland to become an independent country.”
He also argued that the independence strategy would be at the “front and centre” of its general election campaign.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour’s Keir Starmer have both stated that they would reject a second request for a referendum.
The next general elections are scheduled for 2024.
Image: “Building a New Scotland – Creating a modern constitution for an independent Scotland” by Scottish Government is licensed under CC BY 2.0.