Here is my strategy for the SNP securing a second independence referendum

Daily Record

7 days ago

What kind of future do you aspire to for Scotland? What kind of country do you want us to leave behind for our children and our grandchildren?
There is a lot of frustration out there at the moment – and believe me, I share it.
Since the 2008 financial crash, people feel like they are working harder than ever, but not seeing any improvement in their living standards.
Instead, the UK economy is fundamentally failing to deliver for ordinary people - nor is it generating the funding our public services need.
People are frustrated because they don't feel like they can influence their future. I want to change that – but I need your help.
In the election next May, I want to deliver the real change that Scotland needs. I want us to use that vote as a springboard for Scotland taking charge of our own destiny.
In the 2014 referendum, I campaigned for independence because I believed the Westminster system was broken.
That has only become clearer in the years since. Think what could have been achieved in Scotland had we not been forced to spend so much time and money trying to mitigate the ongoing damage of Brexit.
Or the carnage unleashed by Liz Truss's mini-budget. Or the years of austerity, or Westminster cuts like the Winter Fuel Payment.
We were told that we didn't need independence and we just needed a Labour government – but look how that has turned out. That Labour government is hell-bent on balancing the books of the backs of the poor, the disabled and the elderly.
Independence is the catalyst that will deliver a better future for us all. It can be a fresh start for all of us – putting us in charge of our own destiny and our immense resources.
With Scotland's energy resources in Scotland's hands, we can reduce bills for consumers and cut costs for businesses – helping to attract many new jobs, generate new growth and more funding for public services along the way.
Over the next few months, the SNP will set out some radical policies that we know will transform Scotland – ambitious ideas that can be realised with the powers of independence.
For us to achieve that independence, the first step is to secure a legal referendum recognised by all. In 2011 we secured that reliable and dependable route when the SNP achieved a majority of seats at Holyrood.
That is the only mechanism that has been proven to deliver such a vote - so that is what we need to deliver again.
That is why I have submitted a motion to the SNP conference proposing that we work to deliver a majority of SNP MSPs in the Scottish Parliament to secure that referendum on Independence.
The SNP has high ambitions for Scotland, and we must be bold to deliver on those ambitions. We must be ready to follow the path which we know can lead us to an independent state.
I will set out more detail of my strategy for winning Scotland's in the weeks ahead. Recent polls point to majority support for independence in Scotland - I am absolutely convinced that, if we can galvanise that support and persuade people to come together next May, we can break the logjam and end this frustration that we all feel.
Together, let's deliver the real change that Scotland needs.
PRESIDENT TRUMP
With President Trump visiting Scotland right now, the eyes of the world are upon us.
As First Minister, I will use every opportunity I can to represent Scotland's interests, and to raise global issues such as the unbearable suffering in Gaza - so I will be pleased to meet with the President while he is here.
The USA is Scotland's top international export destination and our largest inward investor. Millions of Americans have ancestral ties to Scotland – including President Trump himself. Many of those watching this visit are of course future potential tourists and investors in Scotland, and it is important that they see the very best that our country has to offer.
It is essential in a free and democratic society that people have the right to demonstrate and I am pleased that those protests have been peaceful.
Police Scotland have done a outstanding job in keeping the public safe and in helping to maintain the appropriate security arrangements for President Trump.
This deep and enduring friendship between Scotland and the USA is one which we must cherish and nurture, to ensure it continues long into the future.
GAZA
The ongoing horror afflicting people in Gaza is the greatest international failing of my lifetime. Everything must be done to secure peace and end the humanitarian emergency.
147 of the UN's 193 members already recognise the state of Palestine. France announced last week it will become the 148th. Last year I called on the UK to do the same. The UK must follow France's lead now.