A SENIOR SNP figure is bidding to become a General Election candidate with a pledge to walk out of Westminster if “Scotland’s voice continues to be ignored”.
Toni Giugliano has put his name forward for the SNP nomination for Falkirk, which has been held by John McNally since 2015 and is the party’s safest Westminster seat.
But he said he has no interest in “settling down” at Westminster and that SNP MPs should be making preparations to walk out if the party wins a majority of seats but the UK Government refuses to enter negotiations on independence.
Giugliano, who has spent two years as the party’s policy development convener, told the Sunday National: “This election can’t be business as usual.
“For too long we have been playing Westminster’s game as a party and if we win this election based on the strategy that is agreed upon at conference, then Scotland will become an independent country and every single SNP candidate is standing on a ticket to deliver and negotiate independence.
“I have zero interest in settling down at Westminster for five years – if we win this election, MPs should be withdrawing from Westminster.
“We need to think about how that is done, we need to think about the impact that would have, but certainly why on earth do we have a shadow spokesperson for Northern Ireland? Why do we need a shadow spokesperson for Wales?
“Why are we taking part in debates that perhaps primarily affect other parts of the UK?
“We have been sucked into that Westminster bubble for too long and that can’t continue with this election.”
Giugliano said the SNP had to be thinking about the next steps after the election and other suggestions should be considered, such as holding a full constitutional convention and creating by-elections through having MPs step down.
Asked if this would be welcomed by the public, he said: “I think we would be able to see how Scotland reacts to a UK Government telling us once again we can’t have what we want.
“If you were doing it now, it would be different, it would need to be done at the right time – timing is crucial.”
He added: “We need to think about the options available to us to ensure Scotland’s voice is heard and not ignored again.
“Anyone who is thinking about standing in this election should be thinking about the role they will play in securing and negotiating independence and the ultimate withdrawal from Westminster.
“I want to be Falkirk’s last MP – while I would be the MP for Falkirk, I would absolutely fight for the area, put Falkirk on the map, fight for local communities and local issues, and be an active and visible MP locally – but equally, I believe sovereignty lies with the Scottish people and our democratically elected Scottish Parliament.
“My job here is to effectively make myself as an MP redundant.”
Giugliano will be bidding to win the nomination along with three other candidates.
Last week, the founder of the NoToYes campaign Michael Sturrock announced he was running, while depute leader of Falkirk council Paul Garner and local councillor Gary Bouse have also put their names forward.
The SNP currently hold a majority of nearly 15,000 votes in Falkirk, which is the largest of any seat in Scotland.
Giugliano said his plans for the area as the MP would include town centre regeneration, championing more housebuilding, investment in more active travel and cycling and supporting proposals for a new Falkirk Central hub.
“I will focus on putting Falkirk on the map – promoting Falkirk as a place to invest in, do business, relocate to and visit,” he added.
He said he would be standing on a pitch as “your independence candidate” and making the case for Scotland to leave the UK in a “relatable, tangible” way.
“I feel as a party we need to up our game on how we communicate independence – it needs to be relevant to people’s lives and what people are experiencing now,” he said.
“We need to join up those dots and paint a vision of hope that a better country is possible and inspire people to be able to come out on the day to vote for it.
“But I also think we need to get tougher as a party – sometimes we are too worried about being the good guys.
“There’s a place for us to be frank about the state of the Union, the poverty that has been unleashed through years of austerity, the policies of the rape clause and the bedroom tax, the Brexit that we didn’t vote for.”
He added: “This election is going to be a real fight, we are seeing the British establishment – in a way we didn’t even see in the last few months of 2014 – mobilise to frankly bring down the SNP and undermine the cause of independence.
“We’re seeing that through anti-Scotland stories day in, day out.
“We need experienced candidates to hit the ground running.”
