SNP Leadership contest 2004

'The SNP cannot afford the luxury of returning MSPs who spend more time attacking their own party than making its case.' Professor James Mitchell in the Scots Independent, August 2004.

Authority 'more important than charisma' for SNP's new leader

By Robbie Dinwoodie, Chief Scottish Political Correspondent in the Herald 2 nd August 2004

CHARISMA as a quality for the new SNP leader is derided as "fashionable nonsense" by a leading academic, who claims that more important will be the ability to impose discipline and the willingness of the party at long last to accept it.

Professor James Mitchell, head of the department of government at Strathclyde University, also says the SNP must become genuinely radical once more, with the self-confidence not to judge itself by Labour's policy stances, old or new.

Writing in the first issue of the revamped nationalist newspaper, Scots Independent, Professor Mitchell says loss of internal authority brought down John Swinney, but his legacy was a new constitution with "the potential to provide his successor with greater authority which, however difficult it seems to be for many SNP members to accept, will be necessary if the SNP is to be successful".

He claims: "It is not the fashionable nonsense of charisma that will count but whether the new leader has the authority (and is willing to use it) to fashion a more disciplined party." He adds that the SNP "cannot afford the luxury of returning MSPs who spend more time attacking their own party than making its case".

Professor Mitchell outlines three challenges: "Will members give its new leader the authority needed to lead? Will the new leader set out a radical democratic vision for the twentieth century that is neither the state paternalism of old Labour nor the obsession with markets of New Labour, but a radically different route in tune with its own ethos? And will the new leader continue the work of focusing more on Scotland's potential than its sad past?"

Under the new editorship of Professor James Taggart and Dr Jenny Taggart, who have taken over from Ken Fee, the long-standing editor, Scots Independent gives the stark warning that "the SNP faces incipient meltdown".

It praises Roseanna Cunningham's commitment to independence and her performances in parliament and in the media, but questions whether she has the ability to "take the SNP by the scruff of the neck".

Michael Russell's intelligence and vision are praised but his ability to deliver in time to avert electoral disaster is questioned.

Alex Salmond, says the paper's editorial, has galvanised public interest but he must avoid being "a one-man band that bears grudges" and must make use of experienced colleagues at Holyrood.

The joint Alex Salmond-Nicola Sturgeon team for leader and deputy, which publishes a manifesto of 40 policy proposals in Dundee today, last night unveiled the experienced MEP, Ian Hudghton, as the latest public backer of their slate.

Also at the weekend they released the findings of a poll commissioned from TNS System Three, showing that 82% of SNP voters wanted Alex Salmond to return as leader.

Even taken across supporters of all parties the number supporting Mr Salmond for leadership was 65%.