ALEX NEIL MSP CALLS ON THE SNP TO WORK WITH ALBA TO ACHIEVE A SUPERMAJORITY FOR INDEPENDENCE
The SNP MSP for Airdrie and Shotts and former Cabinet Minister Alex Neil has called on the SNP to work in partnership with the new ALBA Party, led by Alex Salmond, to achieve a supermajority for independence in the Scottish Parliament elections on 6th May.
In a statement Mr Neil said:
“Since 2016 the SNP and Scottish Green Party have, between them, had a pro-independence overall majority of nine in the Scottish Parliament. Despite that there has been zero progress during the past five years in bringing about a second independence referendum. We cannot allow that situation to continue for another five years.
The experience of the last five years teaches us that a supermajority of pro-independence MSP’s will be needed to force Boris Johnson’s hand on the constitutional question.
Unfortunately, under the current system for electing the Scottish Parliament there is no realistic possibility of any one party winning such a supermajority by itself.
To achieve a supermajority requires all the pro-independence parties working in partnership together.
The self-interests of individual parties and personalities are secondary to the needs of the Scottish people. To advance our cause, we must act as a united front to maximise the independence vote in this election.
The SNP is the leading driver for constitutional change in Scotland, but to achieve our primary objective we must be big enough to work with others who are on our side.
In this election, it is clear in nearly every region of Scotland the SNP’s huge sway over such a large number of constituency seats means that it is impossible for it to win many list seats under the current system for electing regional MSP’s . In such circumstances it makes sense to have an agreement between the pro-independence parties to vote tactically to maximise the pro-independence vote.
Electing a supermajority of pro-independence MSP’s must surely be preferable to allowing anti-independence MSP’s to get in by default because the pro-independence parties haven’t supported each other.
We must all put our country, Scotland, first.”
YOURS FOR SCOTLAND 
Alex Neil is absolutely correct. No one party, and certainly not the SNP can deliver independence. The Scottish Parliament was set up that way. In fact it is nearly impossible for any one party to get a majority due to the D’Hondte system.
Get any more than about 62 or 63 seats out of 73 seats in the constituency and there will be no regional seat whatsoever – and of course if there was a party that took EVERY seat in the constituency that of itself would be inadequate to trigger many of the parliamentary options like calling an election, which needs about 86 seats.
So Alex Neil is correct and Nicola Sturgeon with her call for a simple majority of 1 or 2 over the 65 seats is just pie in the sky lies to voters. The SNP with sixty seven seats can not do what an SNP and ALBA with 90 seats could do. So why does the wee woman keep punting this nonsense
– Vote 1 and 2 and waste a million votes.
– Vote 1 and 2 and keep maybe twentyfive unionists in a seat
– Vote 1 and 2 and maybe, just maybe get a simple majority of 1 and forget being able to call an election
– Vote 1 and 2 and as the polls now suggest fall short of a majority at 63.
– Attack ALBA, and promote the Tories and Labour instead.
Vote Nicola, who tells voters an absolute load of lying excrement. It is as bad as that. They must have something big on her because what she says is just so wrong.
Or maybe Alex Neil, is just another enemy of the people for saying what is the absolute truth.
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After watching interview of Ms Sturgeon by Ciaran Jenkins last night it is patently obvious that she has no intention of progressing independence.
It was embarrassing
It is ever clearer than SNP are the party of devolution
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Last night, I was very embarrassed during Nicola’s interview with Mr Jenkins. For the first time she was at a loss and this made me wonder if she is truly leading us to our dream of Independence. I am relying on her and the SNP on delivering what I have worked for all my life. I advise her to swallow any anger she still has against AS and work with any Party which is in sincere about our aims for an independent nation.
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Maybe I’m reading too much between the lines, but if the Alba Party gains a few list MSPs in May and Nicola Sturgeon refuses to work with them, it looks like a few SNP MSPs may well cross over to Alba if there is still no discernable movement to independence in the following months.
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I think it goes without saying that more than a few SNP MSPs will cross over to Alba.
That is the benefit of having two parties and an the absolute advantage of having substantially increased number of independence members and a super majority.
And tonight the Alba candidates launch this evening on Hopin – which should be good night.
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snp IS A MACHINE LIKE tAMMANY haLL FOR DISHING OUT PATRONAGE AND OTHER FRUITS OF POWER iT IS NO LONGER A PARTY OF iNDEPENDENCE
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Well said, Alex Neil. SNP/Alba in the north east.
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I suspect Alex Neil may be due to be expelled from the party for daring to express these views and advocating support for a party other than SNP
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If by God, we can have an election.in May. Amidst this horrifice pandemic and its okey with the PM…then why the hell can we as a people not have a referendum until the pandemic is over. Or is that the plans of this government to press for more devolutionary powers.
I for one am tired of this Government actions holding at bay our rights as a people to be free. Nicola knows asdoes SNP…that this vote in May is the voice of the Scottish people calling out for independence. No party is above the will of the people and if action by the SNP doesnt happen…the party is going to see a massive loss of members not only in the public sector but also the political. Nicola should be telling votes to stare their second votes with Alba or the Greens…not to do so is going to lose us a majority for independence…or is that the plans of SNP..to sit like labour and the tories for another 4 to 5 years….SNP you were created first and foremost as a party based on Scottish Independence…that was the whole goal…breaking that will cost you in the long term and worse will cost the people of scotland to lose any chance of freedom.
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My biggest problem with the Greens is that they have already formed a majority with the SNP and neither party has done anything with that majority except strike a wee pose now and then. We need a party, and we have it in Alba, whose first and foremost aim is independence.
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That’s his card marked, no hope of promotion in any reshuffle if Nicola has anything to do with it.
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