Alba members call on leader to resign if he will not take party into election

Leading figures in the Alba Party have called on leader Kenny MacAskill to resign if he is not willing to take the party into this year’s Holyrood election.

It comes after Mr MacAskill last weekend told members that Alba is unlikely to contest the election, and that the party’s registration may lapse due to its “perilous financial state”.

Members of the so-called Alba Continuation Group want to be able to field candidates on the regional list vote for the Scottish Parliament.

The group includes senior figures in the party such as former SNP MP Angus MacNeil, ex-Solidarity leader Tommy Sheridan and Christina Hendry, niece of Alba founder the late Alex Salmond.

The Alba Continuation Group has published a statement calling on Mr MacAskill to resign if he will not take the party into the election in May, which has been signed by around 50 national executive members, candidates and local office bearers.

The statement says: “We, the undersigned Alba National Executive Members, candidates, and local office bearers, hereby call on Kenny MacAskill and the current leadership team to commit to fighting the 2026 Scottish Parliament election or resign and allow others to lead the fight.”

Commenting on the announcement, Ms Hendry said: “It is abundantly clear that the wider Alba membership want a say in the future of the party.

“Kenny MacAskill and others within the small leadership group must see reason.

“It’s time to put the future of the party to a full membership vote, this should be a decision for the 4,000 members, not the four in the leadership team.”

The Alba Party has been approached for comment.