The man who stuck his head above the parapet by almost challenging John Swinney's SNP coronation has warned the "jury is still out" on his former rival's leadership.
Graeme McCormick dropped his leadership bid despite securing the 100 nominations, clearing the way for Mr Swinney in May.
He did so after "fruitful" discussions with the now First Minister.
But speaking to the Herald during SNP conference in Edinburgh, Mr McCormick said he had received written assurances on how the party would be taken forward, including prioritising a route to independence.
After what the SNP admitted has been a tumultuous election campaign, which saw the SNP drop to just nine MPs at Westminster, down from 48 in 2019, the party was forced to perform an internal audit of where it went wrong during its annual party conference, held in Edinburgh this weekend.
The party analysed its strategy, blaming "self-inflicted" wounds and the desire to change government in the UK as the reasons for the election defeat.
Graeme McCormick. (Image: Graeme McCormick)
However, Mr McCormick said he was undecided on whether Mr Swinney's message to members. and his leadership so far, had been a success.
Asked by the Herald if he was reassured after the internal party discussion, he said: "The jury is still out on that to be honest. Given that we no longer have the support at Westminster that we had previously, it changed the dynamics a wee bit.
"It's even more important now that we focus on independence. We have to get that momentum back and people have got to be inspired. Friday was a reasonable attempt at starting to change the dial but it wasn't perfect.
"John has taken on this role when he had decided he initially was going to step back. I admire the man tremendously but there is going to become a time when he is not going to be (leader) so it is a question of how he and the party move forward and what the succession should look like."
Mr McCormick, who is now standing for the second time to become party president, said he would be challenging the First Minister on the promises he made prior to becoming leader.
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"The conversation I had with John, he gave me a note - an undertaking - which I've not made public that he would take these issues (independence) on. But they have got to be moved on soon, let's put it like that," he said.
"I haven't met with him since our conversation but I would like to and if I was fortunate enough to become party president I would insist on that for the sake of the party."
During the sit-down interview, Mr McCormick considered whether he regretted not challenging Mr Swinney for the leadership job.
However, he acknowledged in "hindsight" much of that internal battle would have taken place during a general election campaign, which could have damaged his party.
However, asked if he would have been a better leader than Mr Swinney, he said: "I would like to think so."
"I put my name forward because I thought I could do it and do it well. I would like to think I could do at least as good as he has," he added.
The SNP presidential candidate is running against former SNP MSP and government minister Maureen Watt, and if successful said he would use the role to challenge the leadership where necessary.
Mr McCormick is a well known figure within the party and has been seen to challenge senior figures on numerous occasions when he did not agree with them.
During last year's annual conference he described former first minister Humza Yousaf's independence strategy as "flatulence in a trance".
And he took on then president Michael Russell for his role at that conference, losing by 79 votes to 599 in a ballot of delegates.
He described the party's election strategy as "crazy" urging Mr Swinney to be "transformative and dramatic", adding the actions of the party so far had been akin to a "pressure group" instead of a government in power.
The party, he said, also had to avoid "poisonous" issues including gender reform battles with the UK Government which risked distracting from independence.
The SNP were asked for comment.
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