Scottish election 2021: Sturgeon says SNP 'not a divided party' - BBC News
The nationalist leader rejects Alex Salmond's "super majority" aim and wants to achieve a "simple majority" at May's election.
Nicola Sturgeon believes a simple majority is the way the SNP will make progress on Scottish independence

The leader of the SNP has insisted her party was "not divided".

Speaking on BBC Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, Nicola Sturgeon said her aim at May's Holyrood election was winning a "simple majority".

She rejected Alex Salmond's idea of creating a "super majority" by encouraging voters to back his newly-formed Alba Party on the regional list.

The former first minister said he wanted to work with an SNP government to advance the cause of independence.

He told the BBC's Today programme that that cause was "much, much bigger than personalities".

Ms Sturgeon denied that the SNP was suffering from internal issues and said support had "never been higher".

She explained: "I know I lead a party that has a growing membership just now and has a commanding position in the opinion polls.

"The breakdown of opinion polls that tests the views and attitudes of SNP voters show the SNP is actually the most united of all the parties in Scotland."

What elections are happening? On 6 May, people across Scotland will vote to elect 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). The party that wins the most seats will form the Scottish government. Find out more here.

What powers does the Scottish Parliament have? MSPs pass laws on most aspects of day-to-day life in Scotland, such as health, education and transport. They also have control over some taxes and welfare benefits. Defence, foreign policy and immigration are decided by the UK Parliament.

How do I vote? Anyone who lives in Scotland and is registered to vote is eligible, so long as they are aged 16 or over on the day of the election. You can register to vote online.

Ms Sturgeon went to say that she was concentrating on winning a "simple majority" and if people wanted an SNP government, and her as first minister, then voting for the nationalists was the only way to bring that about.

She said: "You only have to cast your mind back to the days when Alex Salmond was leader of the SNP and he didn't say what he is saying now.

"What he said then, and he was right then, is that the only way to make sure you get the government you want is to vote for the party that will be that government.

"Anything else is trying to gamble with the system, game the system, take a chance on the outcome of the election.

"If you want to see an SNP government elected that then has the ability to deliver an independence referendum, you don't get that by voting for somebody else."

Nicola Sturgeon insists that there is no split within the independence movement.

But it is inescapable that at the same moment she was being interviewed on Radio Scotland, her predecessor Alex Salmond was speaking on Radio 4 as the leader of a rival party.

The two were once an inseparable double act atop the SNP, which took Scotland to the brink of independence. But he has now formed his own breakaway group, populated with defectors from the SNP including two sitting MPs.

The fact that many of these defectors have left the SNP over various policy differences means there is sure to be friction between their manifesto pledges too.

So, Mr Salmond's very presence in the race raises questions for Ms Sturgeon - even over her core objective of independence, which her party can no longer own as home turf. She now has to spend precious time talking about his vision, instead of her own.

Both leaders may insist that their campaigns will be positive and do not pose a threat to the cause they share, but in many ways Holyrood is no longer big enough for the both of them.

Ms Sturgeon told listeners that two things were required to win independence - a majority in the Scottish Parliament to bring about a referendum and, "crucially", winning majority support among the Scottish population.

She said: "Anybody who tries to suggest there's a shortcut to that, or that we can somehow game or trick our way to independence, frankly, is misleading people. It's got to be through a process that is not just legitimate but seen to be legitimate so that it can command respect and authority at home and internationally as well."

On SNP politicians leaving the party to stand at the Holyrood election for the Alba Party she said she was "not sure it is as many as Mr Salmond might have been hoping for".

She added: "I also don't think this is a friendly gesture on Mr Salmond's part towards the SNP."

Mr Salmond said he wanted to work with an SNP government to advance the cause of independence

Last week, former SNP leader Mr Salmond announced the creation of a new pro-independence party.

He said the Alba Party would not field candidates in any of the 73 constituency seats - but the party will field four candidates in each of the eight regional lists.

Speaking on Today, Mr Salmond said that securing a "super majority" of pro-independence parties at Holyrood would "strengthen immeasurably Scotland's hand in negotiating with a Tory PM".

He added: "From 2007 to 2011 I was first minister and I was negotiated first with Gordon Brown.

"No Tory PM will want to be to trying to face down an entire parliament and an entire people."

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said Ms Sturgeon's comments were "the clearest sign yet that the SNP will put another referendum before Scotland's recovery."

He added: "The Institute for Fiscal Studies demonstrated this week that higher levels of public spending in Scotland is possible because we're part of the United Kingdom.

"The UK furlough scheme is still protecting Scottish jobs and people are still getting Covid jags in their arms - but Nicola Sturgeon thinks risking all of that is what's best for Scotland?"

The Scottish Liberal Democrats said Ms Sturgeon had "once again made it very clear that her only priority this election is another independence referendum".

The party's campaign chairman, Alistair Carmichael, said: "This is not what Scotland needs.

"Scotland needs a needle-sharp focus on green and secure jobs, a plan to help education bounce back and supporting the NHS and mental health."

Scottish Labour has said the focus of the next parliament should be on recovering from the pandemic and rebuilding the country's economy and health service rather than arguing about the constitution.

But the Scottish Greens believe a referendum is needed within the next five years because "decisions about Scotland should be made by the Scottish people."