ALEX Salmond’s Alba Party’s inaugural conference is to decide whether an independent Scotland should ditch the monarchy once Queen Elizabeth’s reign ends.

A motion is to be debated by members at the event, to be held in Greenock next month, on whether the new state should instead have an elected head of state or president like the Republic of Ireland.

Salmond, as First Minister and SNP leader, supported an independent Scotland keeping the royal family before the 2014 referendum, but since then the monarchy has been hit by a series of controversies.

Should Alba decide to back an independent Scotland becoming a republic, the policy would contrast with that of the SNP, which continues to support the British monarch as an unelected head of state under independence.

In the draft agenda for Alba’s inaugural conference, published last night, activists call for Alba to endorse an independent Scotland having a written constitution and an elected head of state.

In the motion, members will be asked to agree that: “The written constitution starts from the principle that the people are sovereign in keeping with the Scottish constitutional tradition and as such Alba will propose ... that, once the term of the much respected present monarch is over, Scotland should move to an elected head of state with similar powers to the Uachtaran na hEireann [Irish president].”

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A Sky News poll in March of this year found that the idea of creating an independent Scottish republic north of the Border is supported by 56% of independence supporters, with 30% backing the monarchy and 15% saying they don’t know.

Alba’s interim general secretary Chris McEleny said: “Our draft agenda sets out a radical and progressive programme to improve the lives of people in Scotland right now and pursue Scotland’s independence mandate with the urgency it requires.

“I am confident that our inaugural conference will set out that we have the people, the policies, and the plan for independence to take Scotland forward.”

As revealed exclusively in The National yesterday, Alba are also set to approve a policy that nuclear weapons should be removed from Scottish soil by the first day of an independent Scotland.

The popularity of the royal family has plummeted amid a number of controversies. Last week, Victoria Giuffre, also known as Virginia Roberts, filed a civil suit seeking unspecified damages at a federal court in New York against Prince Andrew.

She is suing the duke for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager, claiming that she was brought to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with Andrew when she was 17 and a minor under US law.

Andrew, 61, has denied assaulting Giuffre and said he has no recollection of meeting her. He travelled to Scotland as news of the lawsuit broke.

Earlier this year it was reported that the Queen is to lead a royal “charm offensive” to help save the Union – with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge expected to play a key role.