A pair of former SNP councillors in Aberdeenshire have joined former first minister Alex Salmond’s new Alba Party – and predicted more will soon follow suit.
Mearns councillor Leigh Wilson and North Kincardine member Alastair Bews both left the SNP last summer to sit independently, citing “personal reasons”.
But following the announcement of Mr Salmond’s Alba Party last week, Mr Bews and Mr Wilson have now announced they have joined up.
Mr Salmond said Alba is aimed at building a “super-majority for independence” at Holyrood in May’s election, and the party will only be fielding candidates in the regional lists.
The two councillors, who have since last summer been part of the two-man Social Democratic Group on Aberdeenshire Council, said they hope Alba will “provide a fresh perspective” on important subjects.
Mr Wilson and Mr Bews also argued that “concern has been growing among some independence supporters that the SNP has no plan to achieve a referendum on independence”.
Mr Wilson said: “The plan of the SNP right now is that winning the election will result in Boris Johnson granting a section 30 order.
“I think that’s highly unlikely to happen, unless there’s a cross-party basis that it’s clear it’s the express will of the Scottish Parliament that a referendum is held.
“It’s very easy for Boris Johnson to say well, the SNP didn’t achieve 50% of the vote, so therefore it’s not the express will of Scotland to hold a referendum.
“Looking at current polls, the SNP are going to win most of the constituency seats, and if that’s the case, they won’t win anything on the list, and all of those list seats will largely go to unionist parties unless there’s a viable alternative.”
He added: “I feel re-energised by this new party and I fully expect there to be a market for the kind of things we are saying.
“The Alba Party poses no threat to the SNP on the constituency vote and instead we are looking to maximise the pro-independence vote on the list.
“The formation of the Alba Party is one of the most exciting political developments in recent years and I predict that its existence will shake the body of the kirk beyond the election in May.
“Far too much of our political discourse, in my opinion, is directed towards peripheral issues and divisive identity politics; I think most people want to focus on serious proposals on how to build a socially and economically just society.”
Mr Bews said: “It is clear that if the SNP win most of the constituency seats, and most polls suggest that is likely to happen, then voting for the same party on the list is simply wasting a vote.
“We have joined the Alba Party because we are committed to a social-democratic independent Scotland, and that can only be achieved by maximising the independence vote in the upcoming elections.”
Mr Wilson told the P&J that he expects more former and current SNP members to switch sides.
He said: “It’s likely across Scotland there will be more defections.
“In the north-east in particular, we will have to wait and see, but there could be a few surprises ahead in the days to come.”
The leader of Aberdeenshire Council’s SNP group, Gwyneth Petrie, declined to speculate on any future movements.
She said: “Both councillors have said they will not be seeking re-election next year for personal reasons so it’s an easy switch for them to make.
“I note their commitment to independence remains as strong as it ever was and I am sure we will see them on the campaign trail for the independence referendum.”
One Skye councillor said he was “keeping an open mind” about the matter.
Calum MacLeod, based at Broadford on the isle of Skye, is currently non-aligned.
He said: “I was elected as an SNP councillor but there were some difficulties within the group which resulted in some stepping down. I think we have to keep an open mind.”
