The Alba Party has thrown down the gauntlet to the SNP with a call for unity behind a bold independence strategy.
At their gathering in Edinburgh, Alba members overwhelmingly backed a motion that every national election, including the next Scottish Parliament vote, should be contested with the aim of securing a mandate to begin independence negotiations.
The motion was brought forward by Angus Brendan MacNeil, the former SNP MP who has become a leading voice within Alba.
He made it clear that the time for vague ambitions is over and the time for action is now.
Addressing members with steely conviction, MacNeil declared that the SNP cannot secure independence alone.
He called for a united front, insisting the SNP need Alba in the next Holyrood parliament just as Alba need the SNP.
MacNeil pointed to the success of list votes and the potential power of combining pro-independence parties under one clear strategy.
He argued that if such a platform gains a majority on the list vote, it can spark both domestic and international pressure to respect Scotland’s democratic will.
He stressed that independence must no longer be treated as a dream deferred.
In his words, it must be a goal to be achieved within a two to five year window.
MacNeil spoke of a nation being held back by Westminster austerity and the ongoing consequences of Brexit.
He pointed to Ireland as proof that independence is not only possible, but successful.
For him, Scotland’s moment is now and it demands a campaign fuelled by urgency and unity.
He warned that a divided approach has already cost Scotland time.
His rallying cry was for all voices serious about independence to set aside differences and work together to deliver the prize.
The message was simple but sharp — only a coordinated campaign will break the current constitutional deadlock.
This marks the latest chapter in Alba’s ongoing push to position itself as the movement’s strategic spearhead.
With the SNP under pressure to define its next steps, Alba’s motion piles on expectation.
The call is clear — make every vote count for independence, and make it count now.
