John Swinney urged to join Independence Summit by Alba
Earlier in April, Alba MSP Ash Regan called for a convention to be held a year out from the Holyrood elections, insisting that 'energy' needs to be rebuilt if independence is to be a 'realistic proposition' to voters.
However, the SNP sidestepped Alba's call, and the Greens poured cold water on the proposal, saying the party has 'significantly different visions about what an independent Scotland would look like'.
READ MORE: Anas Sarwar 'shamefully silent' as Labour MPs demand 'change' from Keir Starmer
MacAskill has now written to the leaders of each of Scotland's pro-independence parties urging them to reconsider their decision following Reform UK's surge in the English local elections on Friday.
He added that by attending the summit, all parties involved can help create a clear way forward for demanding and achieving independence.
MacAskill (below) wrote: 'Scotland is crying out for Independence as sky high energy costs and the threat posed to the poorest and weakest in our society from Westminster's benefit cuts clearly demonstrates.
(Image: Andy Buchanan/PA Wire)
'In the week when oil refining finally ended at Grangemouth with the loss of 400 jobs and it was revealed that 80,000 children in Scotland are living in severe poverty. And just yesterday, we witnessed the beginning of Farage's march to Downing Street. It is beyond doubt that Westminster rule is failing the people of Scotland.
'An urgent push for Independence is essential. The coming Holyrood election can be Scotland's Independence Election but it requires all pro-Independence parties to come together in a show of unity.
'We can disagree about the why of Independence but we can all agree on the urgent necessity of achieving Independence and begin to discuss and agree how we get there.'
AUOB organisers said they expect around 5000 people to join the demonstration this Saturday, which will begin in the city's West End.
The march will set off from Kelvin Way at 11.30am, moving through the city centre before ending at Glasgow Green.
Organisers have encouraged demonstrators to bring banners, placards, megaphones, flags, pipes, and drums to create a lively and visible display of support for Scottish independence.
At the rally, Alba's MacAskill is expected to call on other party leaders to agree to join the independence summit, as he said unity amongst the parties would be the bedrock towards the cause.
MacAskill added: 'That is why I am writing to John and the other pro-Independence party leaders asking them to commit to taking part in an Independence Summit.
'Independence offers a better way for Scotland but we need to work together to achieve it. An Independence Summit can be the first step in charting a clear and positive way forward.
'Unity is strength, and must be the bedrock of the Independence cause. Let us unite the movement and come together in a show of unity. If we unite we will win!'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
34 minutes ago
- Reuters
Texas flooding, Trump-Musk, Netanyahu in Washington and Ukraine landmines
Follow on Apple or Spotify. Listen on the Reuters app. Rescue teams are searching flood-stricken central Texas for a fourth day, looking for dozens of people still missing after catastrophic flooding. President Donald Trump calls Elon Musk's plans to form a new political party "ridiculous". Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he believes his discussions with Trump will help advance talks on a Gaza hostage release and ceasefire deal. Plus, Kyiv is quitting a treaty banning anti-personnel landmines. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter here. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast here. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit to opt out of targeted advertising. Further Reading Search teams scour Texas flood zone for dozens missing; 78 confirmed dead Trump calls Musk's formation of new party "ridiculous" and criticizes his own NASA pick Trump threatens extra 10% tariffs on BRICS as leaders meet in Brazil Israel's Netanyahu says he believes Trump can help seal ceasefire deal Facing battlefield setbacks, Ukraine withdraws from mine ban treaty Recommended Read: Rare trial to begin in challenge to Trump-backed deportations of pro-Palestinian campus activists Further Listening Reuters World News: Australia's mushroom murders
The Herald Scotland
35 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Zealots who want CCA to cut Israeli links are part of the problem
The words of Oz also speak directly to those fanatics who want the CCA and other arts and academic institutions to end any relations they may have with Israeli citizens and institutions ("Bitter war of words escalates between pro-Palestine group and shut arts centre", The Herald, July 4). By putting CCA staff and visitors at risk by their actions and forcing the CCA to close, these demonstrators have gone beyond the limits of free speech, instead attempting to deny others the right to express their views and go about their daily lives. If we are to achieve peace in the Middle East – and elsewhere – we must allow writers, artists, musicians and academics to work with each other, to share perspectives, to disagree where appropriate and, in the words of Amos Oz, tolerate the voices of opponents. We have a choice: we can give in to the fanatics of both sides or we can keep open the gateway that leads to increased possibility of mutual understanding, in the process beginning to neuter the power of the fanatics. Both Hamas and the current right-wing Israeli government share the blame for the current crisis and both are putting their citizens and opponents at risk. In order for peace to be achieved, both governments need to be replaced (which is probably easier in Israel where, unlike Gaza, there are regular elections). The actions of the fanatics, who want to restrict the freedom of CCA and its staff and visitors, are part of the problem, not the solution, as are any attempts at cultural and academic boycotts of Israel. Kevin Crowe, Wick. Read more letters Glasgow's disgrace Glasgow continues to look like a city that has completely lost its way. Graffiti is now a defining and depressing feature of the urban landscape, appearing not only on derelict buildings but across key public spaces, street furniture and shop shutters in central areas. Litter is ever-present. Vandalism and boarded-up properties go largely unaddressed. The overall impression is one of neglect, and of a city where civic pride has quietly evaporated. High Street offers a particularly dispiriting example. This historic route, leading to the Cathedral, Provand's Lordship and other sites of national significance, should be a jewel in Glasgow's crown. Instead, visitors are greeted by grime, defacement, appalling pavements and visual disorder. For a city that promotes itself as a cultural and tourist destination, with plans for a visitor tax, it is simply embarrassing. All of this is unfolding while enormous sums are poured into the Avenues Project –an initiative that, after years of disruption, has delivered little more than narrowed roads, utterly confused layouts and an urban realm that often feels colder, not more welcoming. Much of the work appears to have prioritised the interests of a narrow but vocal cycling lobby over the broader needs of residents, businesses and commuters. The language of 'active travel' and 'placemaking' may play well in policy documents, distant from the ordinary public, but the experience on the ground tells a different story. The forthcoming £35 million George Square revamp only adds to public concern. It is difficult to see how yet another high-cost redesign, one of several attempted in recent years, can be justified when the surrounding city is visibly deteriorating. Cosmetic enhancement is no substitute for basic maintenance, safety and order. Pictures of the Square from its heyday show how far removed city planners are from the role of this public space with ill-advised rain gardens and a children's play area. Another Sauchiehall Street disaster likely awaits us. There is shame here: shame on those who deface and damage their own city without any consequence, but also shame on those in office who have allowed standards to slide so far. Glasgow City Council has drifted into policy driven more by ideology than practicality. The Scottish Government, too, has encouraged this, funding flagship schemes while the fundamentals are so neglected. Glasgow is being reshaped while its fabric frays and unravels. We deserve better – and Glasgow deserves leaders prepared to focus not on slogans, but on the serious, unglamorous business of restoring a city back to good health. David Roxburgh, Glasgow. An artist's impression of part of the Avenues Project (Image: Glasgow City Council) Energy policy is lunacy Philip Norris (Letters, July 4) wonders how many Herald readers know about the giant wind turbines installed and planned across Scotland. One could also ask how many know about the enormous battery storage, substation sites and 200-plus feet high pylons marching across Scotland that will provide the vast over-supply required for when the wind doesn't blow. Scotland's peak electricity requirement is around 6GW per day and around 48GW of onshore and offshore wind is being planned, the equivalent of buying eight cars just to be sure one of them will start in the morning. I suspect a much higher proportion of Herald readers will know more about this lunacy than the millions of voters who don't read a newspaper these days and rarely see ant coverage on mainstream TV news programmes. Allan Sutherland, Stonehaven. Just desserts? I was intrigued to learn that a new restaurant called TRUST has opened in the Finnieston area of the city where there will be no menu and customers must rely on the chef to provide a quality meal. It is perhaps forgotten that this is not a novel idea and was tried previously in the west end of the city with an Indian restaurant called Karma. There was no menu. Customers just got what they deserved. Cameron Munro, Glasgow.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
'Glasgow is tired of being let down – and it deserves better'
We still walk the same streets riddled with potholes. We still wait weeks or months for hospital appointments. Our bins overflow, graffiti spreads, and fly-tipping piles up – all while city leaders insist we're "on the up." The disconnect between the Scottish Government, City Chambers, and the people who actually make Glasgow tick has never felt greater. This city, which should be the beating heart of Scotland, too often feels like an afterthought – neglected, ignored, and let down by those meant to stand up for it. Let's be honest. The SNP-run Scottish Government has slashed funding to Glasgow in real terms year after year. And Glasgow City Council – under Susan Aitken and her Green Party allies – appears more concerned with headlines and hashtags than with helping households. The rhetoric might be slick, but the results are sorely lacking. While the SNP obsesses over independence and pet projects – like challenging biological reality, taxing air miles, and hammering motorists – the basics are crumbling. Schools are stretched. GP practices are under siege. Cancer targets are missed. Waiting lists at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital keep growing. These aren't statistics – they're lives. Real people, real suffering, right here in Glasgow. At the same time, crime and antisocial behaviour are creeping further into the city centre. Local businesses and residents tell me they no longer feel safe. Police Scotland is stretched to the limit, expected to do more with less, while ministers look the other way. Instead of real leadership, we're served spin. When Glaswegians complain about rats and graffiti, we're told it's "no worse than any other city." That's not reassurance – that's resignation. And it's absolutely not good enough. Glasgow deserves more than complacency self-identifying as competence. It deserves more than half-hearted pledges about a "spruced-up" city, while the evidence on the streets tells a very different story. The people who pay the taxes to fund Susan Aitken's budget aren't asking for the world. They want the basics done right – here, in their own communities. No vanity projects, no funding pet causes in far-off places. Just the essentials: roads that don't wreck your car, pavements that don't trip you up, weekly bin collections, streets that feel safe again. And let's not forget Glasgow Southside's master of the SNP inner circle and her elusive estranged spouse of modest means but expansive motorhome tastes – well-fed, well-housed and well-insulated from scrutiny... until the polis come knocking. Now they expect you to pay his legal fees. We've yet to hear Susan Aitken question this entitlement. No doubt Nicola could write a book about this saga – and promote it on the taxpayers' dime. Call me old fashioned, but I'd rather see a city that works than a party chasing headlines – or disappearing behind the drapes in embarrassment. Fix the roads, for God's sake. Clear the rubbish. Back small businesses. Support our police. These aren't radical ideas, they're what most Glaswegians want. Scottish Conservatives believe in results, not rhetoric. We want a government that listens and a council that delivers. That starts with fair funding: give Glasgow its fair share of UK spending increases. Let local leaders plan for the long term, not lurch from one SNP budget crisis to the next. This summer, Glaswegians don't need another slogan from SNP HQ. They need real change. So here's the challenge to the SNP: stop the excuses. Stop the blame game. Start delivering. Because Glasgow is tired of being let down – and it deserves better.
