A GROUP of 25 senior SNP figures held a secret meeting on Monday night where the removal of John Swinney as party leader was discussed, reports say.
Attendees said that the First Minister has two weeks in which to come up with a new strategy on independence or face a “bloodbath” at the SNP conference, The Herald reported.
A source told that paper: “It feels like Groundhog Day. The last time John was in charge he dropped independence, surrounded himself only by people who agreed with him, and pushed out the likes of Margo [McDonald] and anyone who challenged his devolutionist strategy.
“For those with short memories, that ended in a bruising defeat. If he stays, we will be heading for a repeat. What is left of the membership will not tolerate it.”
It comes after SNP insiders made a similar argument to The National, warning that it felt like the party was being headed up by a small, private leadership group and “heading back into the same old internal splits”.
The Herald reported that the Monday meeting was ostensibly about forcing the party to move forward on independence, but there was a unanimous view that the First Minister “has no intention of putting independence anywhere near the party's narrative whatsoever".
Previously, the SNP’s former policy chief Toni Giugliano told The National that independence had never been so far off the party’s agenda as currently under Swinney.
One source told The Herald: “If there is nothing in the next couple of weeks from the leadership, then conference will be a bloodbath.”
Though they doubted that any MSP or MP would challenge Swinney directly, they said it did not matter if the only competition came from an activist, as any contest would be “hugely damning and damaging, and make the party look utterly ridiculous".
Under SNP rules, any member who can secure 100 nominations from 20 different branches ahead of party conference can trigger a leadership vote.
An SNP insider predicted similar challenges, saying: “NEC members better start looking for new hobbies unless the leadership announces a change of direction soon — because at this rate we are heading for a mass clear-out.”
They went on: “The ability to make the case for independence is not a desirable part of the job description – it is essential – and he has failed on probation.
“The Presbyterian schoolmaster might fly in Perthshire – but in the rest of Scotland it just does not land. Stabilising the party only works for a short time. There is no energy, no fire, no boldness, no long-term vision.”
Last week’s Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election saw the SNP lose to Labour by 602 votes.
The party had been favourites, with Swinney calling it a two-horse race between his party and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Yesterday, the constituency’s new MSP, Davy Russell, took his oath at Holyrood and, in a speech on the steps of the garden lobby, said his win could be a “springboard” to Labour winning power next year.
The seat had been held by Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie until her death earlier this year at the age of 57.
At a press conference on Friday, Swinney insisted there had been progress for his party when the result was measured against their dire performance at last year’s general election.
One MSP told The Herald on Sunday that that was not enough.
They said it was time for Swinney to make changes to his top team.
“I think a proper ministerial reshuffle is required, and an exercise undertaken to seek new policies. For example, I would call in the former MPs who have experience but have had time to refresh their perspective.
“I can sense that many – for the first time – are now nervous, and rightfully so.
“On independence – again, it can never be enough to simply run a competent devolved government without a vision of what could be.”
The First Minister is expected to conduct a limited reshuffle of his ministerial team in the coming days.
Swinney’s previous time in charge saw the party's vote share and number of seats fall. He resigned in 2004, paving the way for the return of Alex Salmond.
Asked by the BBC on Sunday if he was still the man to lead the party, Swinney said: “Yes. Twelve months ago, the party turned to me.
“I was not seeking high office – I had held high office for a long time in my life – and the party turned to me, at a moment of real jeopardy, and asked me to use all of my skills and experience, and the loyalty I command in the party, to bring people together and focus us on the future.”
Professor Sir John Curtice said the close battle for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse did not mean Anas Sarwar was a shoo-in for Bute House.
The election expert told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The recent message from opinion polls is the SNP is running at just over 30%, Labour is around 20%, so it seems a reasonable expectation that such a result would not mean Anas Sarwar is Scotland’s next first minister.”
An SNP spokesperson said: “Since John Swinney became leader last year he has brought the SNP back together and the party is back to doing what it does best – standing up for the people of Scotland.
“In the run-up to next year’s Scottish Parliament election, the SNP will continue to deliver for people across the country, while setting out a clear and hopeful vision for their future as an independent country.
“With the latest polling putting support for independence at 54%, the SNP will continue to focus on demonstrating how having the full powers of an independent country is key to addressing the everyday concerns of people across Scotland and creating a more prosperous society for us all.”
