SNP leadership hopeful Humza Yousaf has unveiled plans to hold a series of independence campaign workshops led by key figures in the party in the first three months if he is elected.
The Health Secretary pledged he will work as the party’s “First Activist” and carry out an overhaul of the current Yes Scotland campaign as part of a drive for “further membership empowerment” in the party.
The grassroots workshops, available to all SNP members, will be led by “key parliamentarians, activists and SNP HQ”.
The plans also include Q&A sessions, a revamp of Yes campaign materials and monthly progress updates for members to “improve accountability” of the leadership.
Yousaf said: “I am a son of the SNP family, being practically born into the movement when my father became one of the first Asian members to join in 1974.
“Our success in recent decades is down to the hard work and graft of our top class activists who have paved the way for an independent Scotland to now be considered an inevitability.
“I’ve said time and time again that independence will be won on the doorsteps so we have a duty as a party to ensure activists are equipped with the tools they need.”
He said as SNP leader, he would commit to an overhaul of the current Yes Scotland campaign, which would include providing in-person and online workshops to members led by some of key party figures.
“I’ll introduce root and branch improvements of our independence resources to the levels we saw in 2014 and ensure our SNP members have the information to turn No voters to Yes voters at their fingertips,” he added.
“And I’ll improve accountability of the leadership with monthly updates of our progress as a party towards independence – allowing members to feedback to me, directly, their views on how we reach our shared goal.
“As your number one vote for SNP leader, I can enable our members to lead from the front so we can get back out speaking to voters where Scotland’s independence will be won.”
Yousaf pledged “root and branch” improvements of Yes materials available to activists, which will include an online searchable archive of explainers and key discussion points, regular Yes materials for SNP branches and member access to graphics aimed at social media use.
His proposals also include having an online Q&A available to all members within his first weeks as leader – followed by monthly email updates which party supporters will be able to provide direct feedback on.
The MSP for Glasgow Pollok has also previously set out proposals for regional assemblies to help the party decide upon a “collective plan” at the next annual party conference and “kickstart” the Yes campaign.
Meanwhile he has said he would look at increasing the Scottish child payment – a £25 per week payout to the country’s poorest families with children under 16.
In an interview with the Daily Record, he said he would “without a doubt” go further on the policy.
“The benefit of being first minister is you get to choose what your priorities are,” he said.
“I would want to see us continue to increase that in order to make sure that it’s helping the poorest and the most vulnerable in our society.
“In my first budget, I would seek to see what we could do to increase the Scottish child payment.”
Yousaf also said he would look to withdraw a current consultation on banning alcohol advertising, citing a “degree of concern” about potential changes.
He said he would restart the process, making it clearer to businesses what changes were likely to be made and to ensure there was not “misinformation” around the issue.
“I’d be minded to withdraw it, but let me make it absolutely clear, with the absolute determination to bring that consultation forward, once again,” he said.
He added: “I see the damage that alcohol does to people’s health but it’s clear that the current consultation is causing some degree of concern.”
