The SNP’s head of media has resigned after the occasion introduced plummeting membership figures earlier this week.  Saying his resignation on Twitter, Murray Foote hit out at earlier SNP responses to the declining membership figures, saying they’d “created a critical obstacle to my function”. In earlier tales, the SNP had labelled experiences of falling membership “drivel”.

He mentioned: “Performing in good religion and as a courtesy to colleagues at occasion HQ, I issued agreed occasion responses to media enquiries concerning membership.

“It has subsequently turn out to be obvious there are critical points with these responses.

“Consequently, I concluded this created a critical obstacle to my function and I resigned my place with the SNP group in Holyrood.”

Membership of the SNP plummeted by almost a 3rd in simply over a yr.

The occasion’s membership fell by virtually 32,000 members – from 103,844 in 2021 to 72,186 at current.

The decline, which quantities to a 30 % drop, befell over simply 14 months.

This can be a worrying signal for the occasion, which is presently present process important turbulence after Nicola Sturgeon introduced her resignation final month.

Scottish Well being Secretary Humza Yousaf, finance minister Kate Forbes and former minister Ash Regan are presently battling it out to succeed her.

Saying her resignation, the outgoing First Minister mentioned the “time is correct” for her to step down, one thing she mentioned she is aware of “instinctively”.

She described her choice to go away the submit as a “obligation”.

The outgoing SNP chief additionally appeared to surrender on her dream for Scottish independence, saying she needs her occasion to decide on its plan for pursuing the aim with out the affect of a frontrunner who may not be round to hold it out.

She mentioned: “I free the SNP to decide on the trail that believes to be the precise one.”

Talking about the way forward for the independence motion, she added: “By making my choice clear now I free the SNP to make the precise choice”.

“We’re at a important second”, she warned, saying “the reason for independence is greater than anyone particular person.”

Ms Sturgeon grew to become the nation’s longest-serving first minister after greater than 8 years within the function.

She took over because the occasion chief in November 2014 after the SNP’s failed independence referendum, taking up from Alex Salmond.

A brand new ballot performed by YouGov confirmed that assist for independence in Scotland has fallen beneath 40 % following the announcement of Ms Sturgeon’s resignation.

The survey confirmed that 39 % of Scottish voters assist independence from the UK, in comparison with 47 % who need to stay a part of the union.

The ballot spoke to 1,002 adults in Scotland between March 9 and 13.