London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Calls for SNP to delay independence summit after Sturgeon resignation

Calls for SNP to delay independence summit after Sturgeon resignation

The timing of a SNP independence summit has been thrown into doubt after Nicola Sturgeon's resignation as first minister.

The party leader confirmed on Wednesday that she would step down after more than eight years in the role.

The SNP had scheduled a conference for 19 March to discuss a strategy to gain independence.

But some high-profile figures in the party now say the event should be postponed while a successor is chosen.

The SNP's national executive committee is meeting online at 18:30 on Thursday to discuss the timing for a leadership contest.

The national executive will also have to decide on whether to go ahead with the March summit.

The conference was announced by the first minister in December following the decision of the UK Supreme Court that Holyrood could not legislate for another referendum, with Ms Sturgeon saying she would back using the next general election as a de facto referendum.

Nicola Sturgeon made her announcement at a news conference at her official Bute House residence in Edinburgh

SNP MP Stephen Flynn, who replaced Ms Sturgeon's close ally Ian Blackford as the party's Westminster leader in December, called for it to be delayed.

"In my view, that conference should be paused," he told the BBC.

"We should allow our new leader the opportunity and the space to set out their vision and their priorities domestically but also give them the space to chart their course when it comes to that pathway to independence."

SNP MP Stewart McDonald, who criticised Ms Sturgeon's plan to use the next general election as a de facto referendum on independence, also suggested the conference should be pushed back.

He said the leadership contest should take about six weeks, meaning it would not finish until after the scheduled date of the conference on March 19.

"I hope the NEC agrees a timetable that ensures a comprehensive debate - we should not rush," he tweeted.

The Glasgow South MP added the summit could then "become a national hustings and departing speech" from Ms Sturgeon.

Former SNP minister Ash Regan, who quit over the government's plans to reform gender recognition rules, also backed the idea of moving the conference, as well as calling for all members who left the party in the last year to be allowed to re-join and vote in the leadership contest.

SNP president Michael Russell has suggested the summit may have to be postponed


SNP president Mr Russell, speaking to BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland, said they may need to delay the event until a new leader has been selected, suggesting it was "unlikely" the race would be over by then.

"Therefore there is a question to be asked about whether that should be postponed while a leader comes into place," he said.

He added: "I think that's a matter that needs to be discussed."

Ms Sturgeon, who announced her decision to quit at a surprise news conference at Bute House in Edinburgh on Wednesday, will remain in post until a replacement is appointed.

She also intends to remain as an MSP until at least the next Holyrood election.

Mr Russell said he expected that process to be "shortened" and for there to be a "contested election".


'Choppy waters'


Though there is no obvious candidate to succeed the outgoing first minister, potential candidates include: External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and Deputy First Minister John Swinney.

Stephen Flynn previously ruled himself out of contention for the role, adding that the next head of the SNP would come from the Holyrood group.

Ms Sturgeon's resignation follows a series of political challenges in recent months as her government sought to pass new laws on gender reforms, only for them to be blocked by Westminster.

She insisted the row surrounding a transgender double rapist being sent to a women's jail "wasn't the final straw", but said it is "time for someone else" to lead the party.

Ms Sturgeon acknowledged the "choppy waters", but insisted her resignation was not in response to the "latest period of pressure".

"This decision comes from a deeper and longer-term assessment," she said.

"In my head and in my heart I know that time is now. That it's right for me, for my party and my country."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×