KENNY MacAskill has said reaching out to the grassroots movement "who keep the flames of independence alive" is his priority after being elected as leader of the Alba Party.
MacAskill won the leadership contest with 1331 votes (52.3%), the party announced at an event in Edinburgh on Wednesday, beating rival candidate Ash Regan MSP, who secured 1212 votes (47.7%).
Taking questions from journalists following his election, the former East Lothian MP said his priority was reaching out to the independence movement.
When asked if he was speaking to any party leaders in Scotland today, MacAskill said: "Well, we will do, but who I think we actually need to reach out to more than party leaders is the Yes movement that has been debilitated.
"We know that there are deceptively more people who support independence than those who support the leading independence party, so we have to mobilise them.
"We are also aware of other organisations who over the past few years, despite the difficult backdrop and circumstances, and despite often not being encouraged – sometimes being actively told not to – have sought to keep the flames of independence alive.
"The first people we will be reaching out to are not simply party leaders, but those involved in the grassroots and organisations who keep the flame of independence alive.
"Some have actually put their feet up, but we will be encouraging them to get their boots back on and get out there, leaflet, march, and get out to do what's necessary to deliver that journey next year."
MacAskill also stressed he is confident his party can see a “breakthrough” at next year’s Holyrood election.
He said: “What I will seek to do, what the Alba Party will seek to do, is to work with that wider movement who are not in any political party – that movement exists and what took us close to victory in 2014 was the broad-based public campaign in housing estates, housing schemes the length and breadth of Scotland.”
Asked about the divisions within Alba, he denied the contest had been “rumbustious” and said the debate had been respectful, saying the decisions around Chris McEleny will be taken by the national executive and that he had recused himself.
Former general secretary McEleny said in a bombshell statement after the leadership race concluded that he would be taking legal action against the party.
McEleny, who lost the depute leader race to former MP Neale Hanvey, claimed he had been "unlawfully" dismissed from his role as general secretary.
