Independence campaigners react to John Swinney speech on independence
But the SNP leader's comments, which come before a big party meeting this weekend, have been met with frustration from some corners of the independence movement.
Robin McAlpine (below), head of strategic development at the Common Weal think tank, told The National: 'It is a truth universally acknowledged that an SNP leader in possession of an approaching party conference must be in want of a boilerplate speech about independence. It is the SNP National Council this weekend so regular as clockwork, here is the speech.'
He added: 'As a professional political strategist I can tell you that you don't get to demand space in the political agenda, you need to earn space by having something to say that people want to hear, and that this isn't it.
'But you will have your own tolerance levels for how much longer this can go on with us pretending this is an adequate response. I doubt me telling you it is not will change much.'
READ MORE: John Swinney launches report showing Scotland 'must take charge of own destiny'
Kenny MacAskill, leader of the Alba Party, dismissed the speech as a 'damp squib'.
He said: 'What we needed and what SNP activists, members and supporters are crying out for was a clear vision and action on independence what we got from the First Minister was a damp squib.
'The First Minister said that 'independence is the defining choice' facing the Scottish people but he has yet to set out the positive difference independence will make and back that aspiration with the political will to achieve it.
'Independence is not a nice to do at some point in the future; it is absolutely essential to save our manufacturing industry, prevent further closures and job losses and to deliver lower energy prices for people and businesses. John Swinney needs to pursue independence with the urgency that is required.'
MacAskill reiterated calls for the SNP leader to contest next year's Holyrood election as an unofficial vote on independence, adding: 'John Swinney must unite the pro-independence parties and the wider independence movement by declaring that a majority of votes cast on the list for pro-independence parties will be the mandate for independence.
'Only then can he re-energise the independence campaign, put the fuel back in the tank and motivate independence supporters in the country.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
10 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Train passengers face ‘outrageous' fare hike
A potential 5.5 per cent rise in England's train fares next year has been described by public transport groups as 'outrageous'. July's Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation – which is often used to determine increases in the cost of train travel – will be announced on Wednesday. The Government has not confirmed how it will determine the cap in regulated fare rises for 2026, but this year's 4.6 per cent hike was one percentage point above RPI in July 2024. Banking group Investec has forecast this year's July RPI figure will be 4.5 per cent, which means fares could jump by 5.5 per cent. Bruce Williamson, spokesman for pressure group Railfuture, said 'it would be outrageous' if fares rose by that much. He added: 'What would be the justification for jacking up fares above inflation? There isn't any. 'It's ripping off the customer, driving people off the trains and onto our congested road network, which is in no-one's interest.' Mr Williamson said he would support the Government marking its nationalisation of train operators by freezing fares. He continued: 'One would hope that there would be some efficiency savings and economies of scale that you get from having a more integrated railway. 'But of course, I strongly suspect that if there are any savings to be had, they'd be swallowed up by the Treasury and not passed back to the passengers, which I think is wrong.' Ben Plowden, chief executive of lobby group Campaign for Better Transport, said: 'Rising fares are not just burdening passengers, they are putting people off rail travel. 'Our survey found that 71 per cent of people would be more likely to take the train if fares were cheaper. 'Public support for nationalisation plummets if fares continue to rise, so as the Government progresses plans for Great British Railways (GBR), it must take the opportunity to reform fares and make rail travel more affordable.' GBR is an upcoming public sector body that will oversee Britain's rail infrastructure and train operation. About 45 per cent of fares on Britain's railways are regulated by the Westminster, Scottish and Welsh Governments. They include season tickets on most commuter journeys, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance routes, and flexible tickets for travel around major cities. The Department for Transport (DfT) said there will be an update on changes to regulated fares later this year. Operators set rises in unregulated fares, although these are likely to be very close to regulated ticket increases because their decisions are heavily influenced by governments. A DfT spokesperson said: 'The Transport Secretary has made clear her number one priority is getting the railways back to a place where people can rely on them. 'The Government is putting passengers at the heart of its plans for public ownership and Great British Railways, delivering the services they deserve and driving growth. 'No decisions have been made on next year's rail fares but our aim is that prices balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers.'
The National
19 minutes ago
- The National
Scotland's trade unions need to mobilise against the far right
The SSP were proudly present, as we have been since day one, arguing for an end to the genocide, to Labour's arms sales and SNP arms subsidies, supporting mass struggle for peace through socialism in the Middle East. By stark contrast, those of us in the SSP who joined the peaceful protest – initiated by Falkirk Trades Union Council – outside the Cladhan hotel housing refugees and asylum seekers in Falkirk, were faced with an ugly mass of racist bigotry across a narrow street. READ MORE: I went to Glenfinnan to see Harry Potter tourism chaos. Here's my verdict. At a peak, we had around 250-300 anti-racists protecting the 'hotel', its workers, and those who have sought sanctuary from wars and civil wars, from attack by a crowd whipped up into a frenzy by fascist and other far-right groups. The alarming fact is that at their peak, those screaming 'send them home', 'stop the boats', and singing 'Rule Britannia' numbered 800 to 1000. It was allegedly called as 'a peaceful protest' after an asylum seeker was convicted of rape and jailed. This inexcusable, heinous crime was latched on to to brand all asylum seekers, refugees and people of colour as rapists and paedophiles by unscrupulous far-right actors – including 'Tommy Robinson' – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – Ukip's Nick Tenconi, and grouplets like Great Britain National Protest. Some of the local people who joined this demo may well have concerns about women's safety, but where were they when Women's Aid and other services were being cut? Where did they protest against the most common of all crimes against women – rape, assault and murder by men in their own family, usually a husband or partner? At the very start of the demo, a few shouted about Grangemouth and the threatened closure of Alexander Dennis – issues the SSP has spearheaded campaigning on in the streets of Falkirk, calling for nationalisation under workers' control to build clean electric buses for free public transport. The full weight of the trade union movement has yet to take action on this and by doing so could answer the genuine concerns some locals were expressing. But yesterday, they were part of a baying mob, some of them giving Nazi salutes, chanting the fascist National Front's slogan of the 1970s, 'there's no black in the Union Jack'. In among this crowd were banners with a skull pierced by a bloodstained dagger, saying 'Kill Them All, Let God Sort 'em Out' – hardly a peaceful message or one of concern for women and children's safety. The lumpenised sections of this demo screamed abuse at women stewards on the entirely peaceful anti-racist demo, calling them 'c**ts', and described all of us as 'paedos'. It took great courage by all those of us who stood for hours, holding the line against likely attacks on the Cladhan hotel, but we did – despite the paltry police presence, with at first only half-a-dozen officers separating the rival crowds. If we hadn't held the line, the hotel and people within it would have been attacked, with unthinkable human costs. Tinderbox of anger This was a harsh reminder of the deep damage done by capitalist crises – including housing shortages, service cuts, job losses in Grangemouth and Alexander Dennis, and grinding poverty – and the unforgivable scapegoating and racist incitement, not just by Reform UK, Ukip and fascist grouplets, but also Starmer's Labour. They've created a tinderbox which flares up with the likes of a horrible rape incident, targeting all those fleeing wars and persecution for racist attacks and potential injury and death, as angry mobs are incited to target the 'hotel' they're cooped up in for ages, as the government fails to deal with their asylum applications. READ MORE: Reform councillor shares stage with 'neo-Nazi' at protest in Falkirk Saturday's events in Falkirk were possibly the ugliest I've witnessed since our battles against the fascist street fighters of the 1970s. However, the fact Saturday's crowds didn't just overpower the substantially smaller anti-racist demonstrators is further evidence they were overwhelmingly not fascist street fighters, but an angry, downtrodden crowd who have had their anger channelled into racist bigotry; blind hatred of people who had nothing to do with shoddy housing, benefits cuts, totally inadequate services and other privations. As we chanted a few times, 'Profit is the enemy'. A warning to the workers' movement Falkirk should be treated as a wake-up call to all trade unions (the STUC included) and socialists. We need to build a positive, working-class socialist alternative in communities ravaged by capitalist attacks, regardless of which 'mainstream' party is in office. Otherwise they'll be prey to the baying mobs and racist slogans of far-right outfits. The SSP will continue to help resist the poisonous antics of the far right, and call on the full power of the organised trade union movement to be mobilised in demonstrations in the likes of Falkirk, to build unity against poor housing, service cuts (including those for women and children), against the closure of Alexander Dennis, and for a positive socialist alternative, with massive wealth redistribution away from the millionaires who hoard it to the millions who need it. We need a sharp, socialist class appeal to people most affected by the crisis of capitalist rule, to break them from the millionaire demagogues of the far right, who want to divide us and rob us of even more wealth.
Wales Online
40 minutes ago
- Wales Online
SNP promise to close attainment gap ‘in ruins', say Lib Dems
SNP promise to close attainment gap 'in ruins', say Lib Dems The party's education spokesperson Willie Rennie said that the SNP has "betrayed a whole generation of young people from poorer backgrounds" The Liberal Democrats have said the SNP's promise to close the attainment gap "lies in ruins" after Scottish exam results showed "minuscule progress". (Image: PA Archive/PA Images) The Liberal Democrats have said the SNP's promise to close the attainment gap "lies in ruins" after Scottish exam results showed "minuscule progress". The party's education spokesperson Willie Rennie said that the SNP has "betrayed a whole generation of young people from poorer backgrounds" and called for urgent action to drive up performance. He pointed to comments by then-first minister Nicola Sturgeon in 2016 when she said her government would push to substantially reduce the attainment gap by 2026, writing in that year's programme for government document that elimination of the gap was "a yardstick by which the people of Scotland can measure our success". Latest exam results published this month show that the poverty-related attainment gap – the difference between the A-C rate for those from the 20% of the most deprived areas of Scotland compared with the most affluent – has shrunk narrowly. The National 5 rate dropped from 17.2% to 16.6% while Highers saw a small dip from 17.2% to 17.1% and Advanced Highers from 15.5% to 12.8% compared with last year. Meanwhile, figures from the Scottish Funding Council show that in 2023-24, 16.7% of Scottish-domiciled full-time first degree entrants to university were from the 20% most deprived areas, up from 16.3% in 2022-23. Article continues below The Scottish Government has a target that by 2030, 20% of full-time, first-degree entrants to higher education should be from Scotland's 20% most deprived backgrounds. Mr Rennie said: "The SNP's promise to close the attainment gap lies in ruins. By Nicola Sturgeon's own yardstick, her party has betrayed a whole generation of young people from poorer backgrounds. "The minuscule progress that they have made is nowhere near good enough. On the SNP's watch, Scotland has tumbled down the international rankings, and parents are hugely worried about what that means for their children's futures. "In schools, there are lots of issues that need addressed, from behaviour challenges to teachers stuck on supply lists and fundamental problems with the curriculum, but all of them have gotten worse under the SNP. "We urgently need a plan to drive up education performance and improve outcomes for our young people." A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Substantial progress is being made on widening access to higher education. The latest UCAS data shows the number of Scots accepted to a UK university from deprived areas increasing by 11% since 2023. Article continues below "Ministers remain resolute in meeting the goal of 20% of all entrants being from the 20% most deprived communities by 2030, and will continue to work constructively with the sector to achieve this. "We are determined to drive continued improvement, which is why the curriculum improvement cycle is underway and we are progressing with qualifications reform. "We will continue to engage with our school and local authority partners as part of the annual review of the national improvement framework, to ensure we continue to drive up standards for all our children and young people, and our investment in the Scottish attainment challenge is ongoing to tackle the attainment gap."
