Overview

• The motion seeks to make an outright SNP majority at the May 2026 Holyrood election the trigger for a legally recognised vote on Scottish independence.
• It draws on the 2011 Holyrood majority precedent under Alex Salmond that led to the 2014 referendum.
• Successive UK governments and a 2022 Supreme Court ruling reserve any new referendum for Westminster’s authorisation.
• Internal critics and analysts warn that winning an outright majority under Holyrood’s mixed-member system would require boosting SNP support from around 30 per cent to about 45 per cent.
• Opposition parties accuse the SNP of sidelining urgent domestic issues such as NHS backlogs and school performance in favour of the independence campaign.