Here comes Humza Yousaf’s first big reality check: Brexit 🖋️ annemcelvoy for ipaperviews
The Sturgeon strategy of arguing that the next election should be considered a “de facto referendum” on independence ended in a meltdown . In his victory speech, Yousaf pledged to be “the generation that delivers independence.” But that is an ambiguous statement when the new leader is only 37.
His fate and with it that of his party, facing a Labour revival north of the border, will depend on how elastic he can make his pitch as a Sturgeon loyalist to change the terms of an argument which ultimately trapped her in promises she could not see through and a government falling behind on delivery.
The new chieftain has some time to think some of this through, but not very much before the election cycle bites. On one point, he should move quickly – ditching the idea that a vote for the SNP at the next election can automatically be counted as a “yes” vote for independence. That has driven more cautious nationalist votes to Labour, which has more clearly delineated itself under Keir as a Unionist party.
Yousaf has found his route to power in running largely as a “continuity candidate” to Sturgeon, gathering her vote base to clinch a narrow victory which relied on the votes of the third-ranked candidate. That is modest acclaim, even after a bruising start for Kate Forbes, the runner up, whose whose fervent religious views and personal opposition to abortion stymied her campaign to change the culture and style of SNP politicsBut the most telling question for an inexperienced nationalist leader in Scotland is not how fast he wants independence, because we know the answer to that. It is how he intends to get there, now that the highway to freedom looks more like an obstacle course – and these are generally best not attempted in fifth gear.
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