Westminster will not ignore electoral mandate for independence – MacAskill

Kenny MacAskill, the new leader of the Alba Party, has insisted Westminster will not ignore an electoral mandate for Scottish independence.

The former MP and minister was elected earlier this week to lead the pro-independence party launched by Alex Salmond, who died in October.

He narrowly defeated MSP Ash Regan when results were announced at an event in Edinburgh – where the divisions in the party were laid bare.

Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme on Friday, he was pressed on what the way forward for Scottish independence should be.

Mr MacAskill said supporters of independence must recognise “the referendum is not coming about”.

He continued: “What we have to do is to use the Holyrood elections in May 2026 as a mandate for negotiating independence.

“Not to request a referendum, but to say that the Scottish people were given a democratic right and have voted for independence.”

Asked what would happen if the Westminster Government said no, he said: “Well, Westminster has always accepted the democratic right of the Scottish people.”

He said Margaret Thatcher had adopted this position and he did not believe any Prime Minister would “block the democratic will of the Scottish people”.

It was put to the Alba Party leader that his leadership victory came after he won only 1,331 votes to Ms Regan’s 1,212.

The former East Lothian MP said his party would seek to mobilise the “wider independence movement”.

Following the leadership announcement in Edinburgh on Wednesday, Ms Regan declined to give a speech and defeated deputy leader candidate Chris McEleny threatened legal action over his earlier dismissal as general secretary.