THE rise of Reform UK and the sudden fall of Labour in the polls show Alba can be electorally successful despite the death of Alex Salmond, former MP Angus MacNeil has said.
The ex-Na h-Eileanan an Iar MP – who was suspended and then expelled from the SNP last year after clashing with the chief whip – announced last week he was joining Alba just a few days after a public memorial was held for Salmond following his sudden death in October.
MacNeil told the Sunday National he held talks with Salmond shortly after the General Election in July about joining the party with intentions of doing so in the new year.
But the service held in memory of Salmond at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on St Andrew's Day spurred MacNeil on to join sooner arguing that, with the feelings sparked by Salmond’s passing, there is a need “to remind people it’s the time to kickstart independence”.
And MacNeil has insisted Alba can make the electoral breakthrough it has been struggling for if people are willing to believe it can be a vehicle to independence.
Despite being in Government for a matter of months, Labour dropped to third place in a shock Westminster poll this week behind the Conservatives and Reform UK.
MacNeil – who lost his seat at the General Election in July after 19 years as an MP – said the volatility of voters at the moment, along with independence support being much higher than support for the SNP, suggest Alba can succeed.
“The rise of Reform and the sudden fall of Labour to now third in the polls, and with independence at 50% but the SNP at 30%, shows all is possible for Alba and independence,” MacNeil told the Sunday National.
“The voters are volatile at the moment. They can see the UK is not the answer. It wasn’t the answer with the Tories – the [Rishi] Sunak government I think is now more popular than the one of [Keir] Starmer.
“So people are going to be looking at alternatives and the SNP are not giving them an alternative, other than moaning we can’t get a referendum.”
Asked if Alba can be successful without Salmond, MacNeil (below) added: “Absolutely and that’s probably why I’ve joined now.
“Independence was never about one person. Alex Salmond did not campaign for independence for Alex Salmond, he campaigned for everyone around about us.
“When we think back 100 years ago, there were only 50 independent countries in the world. There are 200 now, so we should be hoping Scotland can join that four-fold growth.”
Since Alba’s formation in 2021, the party has not managed to get anyone elected on an Alba ticket to either Holyrood or Westminster. They now have no representation in London with Kenny MacAskill and Neale Hanvey both having lost their seats in July, while Ash Regan remains the party’s sole MSP in Edinburgh having defected from the SNP earlier this year.
MacNeil believes the party has suffered from the notion the independence movement must stick together, adding that the SNP have been synonymous with that “for too long”, while many have found Alba to be “overzealous” or have an overriding feeling “they might not make it”.
But MacNeil said independence supporters only need to look at what has happened with Reform UK to realise Alba can become a force for Scotland’s self-determination.
He said: “I think a big challenge [Alba] have is the chicken and egg situation. People will think if Alba could make it, I will join, but they might not make it so I won’t join and I won’t put my shoulder to the wheel.
“But that’s a self-fulfilling prophecy because if you do join you might make it happen but if you don’t, you definitely won’t make it happen.
“That’s a huge challenge [for Alba] and the challenge is one of belief it can happen and a belief in democracy.
“I’ll say to people like that, that think we can’t in Scotland create that change, look at what Nigel Farage can do. He’s got a party of 104,000, this time last year he had a party of 10,000.
“If you don’t think that people in Scotland are as good as Nigel Farage then give yourself a shake.”
Given there is a gap between independence support and backing for the SNP, MacNeil argued that to boost their appeal, Alba should consider changing their name to “Alba For Independence” to set themselves apart from John Swinney’s party who he believes have become “de facto devolutionists”.
When MacNeil was expelled from the SNP in August last year, he formed an alliance with MacAskill and Hanvey at Westminster as an Independent called Scotland United but said at the time he had “no plans” to join Alba.
He said he had ambitions to act as a bridge between Alba and the SNP by remaining an Independent, but now reflects on this as “wishful thinking”.
However, he is still passionate about the idea of promoting a de facto referendum via the Holyrood regional list vote, where a combined vote for independence-supporting parties would be a vote for independence.
“Some within the SNP will say Westminster wouldn’t recognise independence from the ballot box in an election. Westminster have never said that,” he said.
“At the very least, let’s try and put the Westminster government on the spot to see if they want to behave like Putin. From what I know about them, they are not monsters.”
MacNeil said he is considering putting himself forward to be a candidate at Holyrood in 2026 for Alba but has said this will only happen if “[Holyrood] is pushing the independence agenda”, adding he does not want to be a part of any “parish council of Westminster”.
But he feels Alba are the only “serious vehicle” to independence and could have a huge impact if they can convince “fearty” voters to make the switch.
“It’s that breakthrough [Alba need] and I think people in the SNP know if Alba were to break through it would be like a dam bursting and it would carry all in front of it,” he said.
"Most people haven’t joined the SNP because they particularly like the personalities in the SNP, independence has been the driver over time and if there looks to be a better vehicle for independence to improve Scottish society, I think people will make that change. They’ve just got to believe it’s a vehicle that will get there.”
Asked how they can get people to believe in the party, MacNeil added: “I think people who want Scotland to move forward and are sitting there fearty at the moment or a bit unsure have to ask themselves, can I help independence by doing what I’m doing? Or can I help independence by taking the active step and helping Alba gain the credibility it needs to break through with the people?”
