'12 hours' left to save the Alba Party, claims splinter group
Group includes Alex Salmond’s niece Christina Hendry, ex-SNP MP Angus B Macneil and former Scottish Socialist leader Tommy Sheridan
An Alba splinter group warns there is only “12 hours” left to save the pro-independence party set up by the late Alex Salmond.
Last week four members of Alba’s national executive committee announced they had formed the ‘Alba Continuation Group’ to try and make sure the party could contest the Holyrood election in May.
This group includes Mr Salmond’s niece Christina Hendry, ex-SNP MP Angus B Macneil, former Scottish Socialist leader Tommy Sheridan, and Suzanne Blackley.
This comes after party leader Kenny MacAskill wrote to all party members and said fighting the upcoming election was beyond the party’s financial resources.
On Friday the continuation group said it was looking to launch legal action after calling for an emergency ballot of members.
Now the group claims Alba’s leadership is poised to de-register the party with the Electoral Commission.
The group has set up a separate website which says there are “12 hours until they try to shut us down”.
So far 116 members have backed the continuation group and pledged £5,137 to support them.
It said: “On Tuesday 3 March, the current leadership is expected to meet the Electoral Commission to formally de-register the party.
“If they succeed, Alba is wiped from the ballot and the independence movement loses its only insurance policy.”
It added: “Alba exists for one reason - to deliver Scottish independence.
“The list vote strategy - voting Alba on the regional list - is the only mechanism that can deliver a pro-independence supermajority in the Scottish Parliament.
“Without Alba on the ballot, unionists win list seats by default.”
Mr Macneil said: “We have momentum and money coming in at a far better than expected rate, so we are making a heartfelt plea for the leadership not to end the party at a critical moment in Scotland’s journey toward independence.
“All the issues we are aware of that Alba faces are minor in the grand scheme of things and can be resolved with funding, which we are already raising successfully.”
Mr Macneil claims Alba could win up to 18 seats if it contests the Holyrood election. No recent polls suggest this will happen.
He added: “It is understandable that Kenny MacAskill has had enough - politicians often step down from leadership, but that usually does not mean destroying a political party at the same time, as Alba is facing.
“Therefore, we ask Mr MacAskill to pause, reflect, and enter into mediation with the Alba Continuation Group. Mediation offers a constructive route forward, one that avoids irreversible harm and allows the party to stabilise, regroup and renew.”
He said the group has received in excess of £15,000.
However Mr MacAskill has dismissed the claims as “unfounded speculation”.
He told The Scotsman: “Our position is as per what we set out to members last Friday.
“We are meeting with our auditors and the Electoral Commission and then we will report back to the NEC.
“We are required to meet with these two groups - everything else is speculation.”
Mr MacAskill added: “What is clear is there is a significant and precarious financial situation, none of which is addressed by those protesting rather than supporting our efforts.”
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