Swinney says campaign for second Scottish independence referendum 'has already begun'
John Swinney told the SNP conference in Aberdeen on Saturday that the campaign for a second Scottish independence referendum has already begun, as the party prepares to launch its Choose Scotland drive with a six-figure budget.
Swinney says campaign for second Scottish independence referendum 'has already begun'
A six-figure campaign built on consensus
Speaking in Aberdeen on Saturday in his role as Scottish first minister, John Swinney used his keynote address to the SNP conference to declare that the campaign for a second Scottish independence referendum has already begun. The party is preparing what he called its most sophisticated campaign ever aimed at persuading Scottish voters of the benefits of independence.
The effort will carry the name Choose Scotland and carries a six-figure budget behind it. Its stated purpose is to build consensus for leaving the union, rather than simply asserting the case for a break.
'Stars aligning' across the Celtic nations
Swinney argued that the cause of independence is gaining ground because nationalist first ministers now lead Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In his words, the "stars were aligning" for the pro-independence cause.
He told delegates that the languages, cultures and histories of the Celtic nations had been suppressed or derided for centuries, saying: "For centuries, people in the Celtic nations have been told that we are not good enough." Standing alongside pro-independence leaders from Wales and Ireland, he added, discomforts the union's defenders. "Never again can they portray us as separatists," he said.
SNP figures point to a hung Westminster parliament
Leading figures in the party argued at the conference that the most realistic route to another referendum runs through a hung Westminster parliament, in which the SNP would likely hold the balance of power. The party currently has just eight MPs, but recent polling suggests its seat count would surge at Labour's expense in Scotland, even if the size of the gains is uncertain.
Deputy first minister Jenny Gilruth said the party would welcome an early general election to reenergise the independence push, and that polling points to the SNP holding the balance of power while regaining a number of seats.
Lara Bird, MP for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, told a podcast by the National that a tight overall result could allow the SNP to negotiate another poll:
- She said the SNP is currently polled at getting somewhere between 40 and 50 MPs at the general election.
- Her argument was that the party should put the question directly to Westminster, saying: "Let's put it to Westminster and put the onus on them to meet us at the table."
Not every poll points that high. The latest Electoral Calculus MRP predicted a narrow Labour victory, with the SNP winning 28 seats, though previous polls have indicated the party could win even more.
Burnham presses to move beyond independence
Prime minister Andy Burnham, speaking in Lanarkshire on Friday, argued the Scottish government needed to "move beyond" the question of independence, and offered to work more closely with Swinney's administration on devolving power from Holyrood. He said: "Right now, too much time is wasted on those dramas. It consumes too much energy," arguing constitutional debates divert attention while people face the cost of living crisis.
Any referendum is not in Swinney's gift: the Westminster government would have to grant a second vote. But the first minister told the conference that independence is very close, that the nations of the United Kingdom are evolving into a new relationship, and that another vote could happen sooner than expected.
