Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf has been accused of taking his party’s bid to secure another independence referendum and putting it “on steroids”.

The SNP leader has faced criticism after telling Sky News that winning “most” Scottish seats at the next general election would be enough to qualify as a mandate to split from the UK.

But this indicated a lower threshold than the “majority” of MPs he spoke of at a special conference on Saturday to discuss the party’s breakaway strategy.

It was also short of the bar set by his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon, who wanted the election to be fought as a “de facto referendum”, with more than 50% of the votes considered enough to open negotiations with Westminster.

Mr Yousaf said independence would be on the first line of the party’s manifesto.

However, recent polling by PanelBase has predicted the SNP will take 21 of the available 59 Scottish seats at the next election – down from their current 45 – while Scottish Labour are predicted to win 26 seats, meaning the SNP could fall short of the benchmark sought by Mr Yousaf.

The first minister said his preferred option was a referendum but that it had been blocked, so the next way to test the position was through a general election.

Speaking to the Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, he said: “We have put a very simple proposition to the people of Scotland on page one, line one of our manifesto, a vote for the SNP is a vote for Scotland to become an independent country.

“Now, if we win that general election we will seek to negotiate with the UK government how we give democratic effect to that proposition.”

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Pressed over what he meant by “winning” the election, Mr Yousaf said: “Every single general election, everybody knows the rules of a general election. The party that wins the most seats wins the general election.”

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Separately, Mr Yousaf told the BBC: “I’m not saying to you if we win that general election, Scotland suddenly becomes independent.

“What I’m saying to you is that through a democratic, lawful means, we begin negotiation with the UK government on how to give that proposition democratic effect.”

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Meghan Gallacher, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said Mr Yousaf’s “latest plan to push his independence obsession confirms that he has taken Nicola Sturgeon’s strategy and put it on steroids”.

The MSP said: “At a time when people across Scotland are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and want the SNP-Green government to focus on their real priorities, Humza Yousaf is typically obsessed with holding another divisive referendum as soon as possible.

“It is clear that the self-styled first activist is talking about his favourite subject to deflect from the chaos engulfing his party and their overwhelming failures during their 16 years in office.

“Whether it was on the health service, their ferry fiasco, the lack of dualling the A9 or the spiralling costs for a replacement Barlinnie, Humza Yousaf had no answers.”

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Dame Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader, said: “Humza Yousaf has made it clear – if your priority isn’t a divisive and disruptive referendum, the SNP doesn’t want your vote.

“This is a single-issue party without a coherent plan on how to deliver on their one policy of independence.

“The SNP has turned its back on anyone more concerned with ending the cost of living crisis, reviving our economy and rebuilding our public services.”

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