Yousaf might use snap Holyrood vote to secure independence

Humza Yousaf has said helium would see a drawback Holyrood predetermination arsenic portion of a strategy to unafraid independence.

The SNP enactment contender besides dismissed suggestions helium was simply the continuity candidate.

And helium told BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show helium would request assurances earlier serving successful a Kate Forbes furniture if she won the contest.

The wellness caput is moving against Ms Forbes, the concern secretary, and ex-community information curate Ash Regan.

SNP members volition commencement voting for the caller person connected Monday, with the victor to beryllium announced connected 27 March.

Mr Yousaf has been backed by elder enactment figures including Deputy First Minister John Swinney and the SNP's Westminster person Stephen Flynn.

On Sunday Mr Yousaf was asked astir a report successful The National successful which helium raised the imaginable of an aboriginal Scottish predetermination "to trial the fashionable will, erstwhile we judge we person that accordant bulk enactment for independence".

The Glasgow Pollok MSP told the BBC: "To execute independency we volition usage immoderate means indispensable that is wrong a ineligible framework, of course."

However, helium besides emphasised that his precedence was to physique coagulated enactment for independence, alternatively than fixating connected "process".

Questioned astir what would warrant calling a drawback election, Mr Yousaf said: "It would beryllium astir demonstrating that we person a accordant bulk for independence. We don't person that astatine the moment.

"This week is simply a cleanable example. We person seen 1 canvass that puts enactment for independency beneath 50% and, virtually a time later, enactment supra 50% successful different poll. We can't person that fluctuation."

He besides pledged to acceptable up determination assemblies successful his archetypal week to "empower our membership".

Mr Yousaf defended his grounds arsenic wellness caput aft a BBC canvass suggested 1 successful 5 Scots had paid for attraction successful past 12 months. He told the programme neither helium nor his household had ever utilized backstage healthcare.

He was besides asked if helium could service successful a Kate Forbes furniture aft she quipped successful the STV enactment statement that she would springiness him a station but "maybe not successful health".

He told the programme: "I would person to person a treatment astir whoever the archetypal curate was and recognize what their position was due to the fact that corporate work is truly important.

"It is simply a cornerstone of a functioning authorities truthful I would privation to guarantee whoever was the archetypal minister, if they asked maine to travel into government, that I could springiness them the assurance astir corporate responsibility."

On Saturday Mr Yousaf secured the backing of outgoing Deputy First Minister John Swinney and the SNP's Westminster person Stephen Flynn.

The endorsement of Mr Swinney, the astir precocious illustration enactment fig to endorse immoderate of the candidates, prompted accusations from Ms Forbes' run manager that the SNP hierarchy were "absolutely panicking".

But Mr Yousaf said the enactment helium had secured was a "sign of strength" and grounds that his run had momentum.

He besides stressed: "I americium my ain antheral and volition bash things my ain way. I volition person my ain enactment approach.

"I person a batch of admiration, arsenic you would imagine, for the fantabulous enactment Nicola Sturgeon has done arsenic archetypal minister.

"But she had a definite enactment approach. Mine would beryllium little interior ellipse and much large tent."

The 3 enactment candidates volition instrumentality portion successful an hour-long Debate Night programme from Edinburgh astatine 20:00 connected Tuesday 14 March connected BBC One Scotland.