A Critical Time for the SNP: A New Leader and ‘First Activist’
| Published date | 01 June 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/20419058231181276a |
| Author | Lynn Bennie |
| Date | 01 June 2023 |
4POLITICAL INSIGHT•JUNE 2023
At the beginning of 2023, the
Scottish National Party was
on the verge of a crisis. From
the outside, the party looked
resilient – 16 years in government, a record
of electoral dominance, a reputation for
discipline, a large membership, and a
leader respected by voters. But inside the
SNP turmoil was about to come rushing to
the surface.
A Critical Time for the
SNP: A New Leader
and ‘First Activist’
The Scottish National Party has dominated its political scene for a decade
and a half. But with a new leader, and police probing into the party’s
finances, where does the SNP stand now, and what are the prospects for
its core goal, Scottish independence? Lynn Bennie investigates.
On 15 February, Nicola Sturgeon declared
her intention to step down as SNP leader
and Scotland’s First Minister, despite saying
only weeks before that she had ‘plenty in
the tank’. She emphasised personal reasons
for her departure and tacitly acknowledged
that her independence strategy had been
unsuccessful, saying ‘I free the SNP to
choose the path that it believes to be the
right one’. The SNP now has a new leader,
but internal divisions have been exposed
© SST / Alamy Stock Photo
Political Insight June 2023.indd 4Political Insight June 2023.indd 418/05/2023 14:5818/05/2023 14:58
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