AN Alba Party MP has said that inaction from the Scottish Government risks missing a “historic opportunity” for Scotland to become an independent country.

Kenny MacAskill, who represents East Lothian, made the comments as impatience continues to grow in the independence ranks over the “failure” of the Scottish Government to push for indyref2 after May’s Scottish Parliament election results.

In a video update to Alba Party members, MacAskill said that now was the time for action but “sadly” that action is not coming from within Holyrood and says it will have to come from the wider independence movement.

MacAskill wants to see a Scottish Constitutional Convention called to bring together Scotland’s elected representatives to face down the challenge of Westminster’s opposition to a second independence referendum.

He said: “We are in danger of missing a very historic opportunity for independence, but at the same time the threat and challenges Scotland is facing from Westminster are increasing.

“The burden being faced by those in our country least able to sustain it is going to worsen, and the threats to our Scottish Parliament that we fought so hard to obtain and establish are increasing.

“This is the time that we should be acting but sadly no movement is going to come from within Holyrood so it is going to have to come from outwith, from all the independence movement groups that are out there and are frustrated by the Scottish Government’s lack of action in progressing the mandate Scotland has for an independence referendum.”

He continued: “Those are the groups and organisations that will keep the flame of Scottish independence alive. We cannot allow this moment to pass.”