Swinney to ‘turn heat up' on Westminster for indyref2 as part of new strategy
Since the first vote in 2014, successive UK governments have repeatedly turned down calls for a second referendum, with the UK Supreme Court ruling in 2022 that only Westminster can allow another poll.
The First Minister pledged to mobilise support around the calling of another vote, though Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is extremely unlikely to back down.
The first point of the three-part plan outlined by Mr Swinney – who has been feeling some pressure since the SNP lost in June the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election to up his push for independence – focuses on increasing support for leaving the UK.
'First, it will be a campaign designed to build the highest levels of support possible for independence as the best future for Scotland,' he wrote.
'I will be saying to those who voted Yes in 2014, and who have become independence supporters in the years since, that what they believed in then is just as valid today.
'They saw that Britain was fundamentally broken, that Westminster couldn't deliver on their dreams and aspirations, and what they saw has come to pass. And now it is time to do something about it.
'But I will also be urging people who were not persuaded of the merits of independence in 2014 to see the state of Britain today and take a different view.'
Since taking over as SNP leader for the second time, Mr Swinney has stressed the need to increase consistent support for independence before a referendum can be pushed for, saying in a speech in January the idea has to become a 'compelling proposition' for Scots.
The second point of his new plan, the First Minister said, is to put pressure on Westminster.
'Second, that means building public pressure around Scotland's fundamental national rights,' he wrote.
'The UK parties speak of a partnership of equals, but those are empty words if Scotland does not have the ability to determine her own future.
'We are ready to turn the heat up on Westminster and its anti-democratic stance, mobilising the support, energy and the impetus of people in Scotland behind the simple idea: no ifs, no buts, Scotland has the right to choose.'
The third point of the strategy is to deliver an 'emphatic win' for the SNP in next year's Holyrood election.
'I want to persuade independence supporters that the way to deliver independence is only with an emphatic SNP win in 2026 and the priority is to do that now,' he wrote.
'History tells us that only when the SNP is doing well is there any prospect of advancing on Scotland's constitutional cause.
'During the next Parliament we reach the point where there will be one million people eligible to vote who, last time around, were too young to do so or not even born. A generation has now clearly passed.
'It's time for the one change that will actually make a difference for Scotland, for the fresh start our nation needs so badly. It's time for Scotland to craft her destiny by ensuring Scotland's future is in the hands of the people of Scotland.'
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The Guardian
40 minutes ago
- The Guardian
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2 hours ago
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SIR – When I was 16, Labour was in power. It was a time of bin men's strikes, nurses' strikes, food shortages, petrol crises, power cuts, job losses, soaring unemployment and soaring inflation. We teenagers could tell that our parents were desperately worried about money, and our own prospects looked grim. Had we been given the vote then, I know which party would not have received my support. Sir Keir Starmer's Government must be very confident about how it will perform over the next four years (' Votes at 16 as Starmer panics over Reform ', report, July 18). Deborah Tompkinson Maidenhead, Berkshire SIR – Labour's plan to extend the franchise to 16-year-olds could easily backfire and play into Reform UK's hands. If these young people were to reflect on their lot, they would realise how both Labour and Conservative policies in recent years have left them significantly worse-off than their forebears. Factors they might consider include: the effect of the bungled Covid response on secondary education, the eye-watering cost of a tertiary education of diminished value, sky-high property prices, a weakening jobs market, collapsing public services and crumbling infrastructure, poor-quality but expensive public transport, an ineffective and wasteful health service, immigration out of control, weakening social cohesion, and a social care system in disarray. Why would someone vote for any party at least partly responsible for such a catalogue of failings? The appeal of a new, non-establishment party offering a fresh approach to the next generation is clear. Sam Kendall-Marsden Huntingdon SIR – At a barbecue a while ago, I found myself in conversation with a 16-year-old. For no apparent reason, she told me that Margaret Thatcher was an evil person who had ruined the country. I asked how she had reached this view. 'My teacher told me,' she replied. I suspect Labour's latest move will, in effect, just give extra votes to the Lefties of the education unions. Tony Palframan Disley, Cheshire SIR – Sir Keir Starmer claims that the reason for giving 16-year-olds the vote is that they deserve a say over how their taxes are used. Given that young people are required to stay in some form of education or training until the age of 18, how many 16 and 17-year-olds are actually paying tax? Peter Higgins West Wickham, Kent SIR – Labour's arguably cynical decision to reduce the voting age will create fresh mental burdens for young people, arising from social media saturation by political parties and pundits. Research published last year indicated that nearly 20 per cent of British 16-to-18-year-olds felt their smartphone usage was problematic, leading to anxiety and depression. Does the Government really want to make this worse, with the inevitable bombardment of political messaging? Shouldn't these young people be allowed two years to settle into their next stage of life, without having another thing to worry about? Simon Taylor Martock, Somerset SIR – I fear that Annabel Hogan, in her excellent commentary (' Under-18s like me really don't need a say in who runs the country ', July 18), has unwittingly undermined her own argument. Her grasp of the essentials of the discourse, and the maturity of her expression, suggest that, despite being in her mid-teens, she possesses all the attributes required for competent voting. Her article provides hope that not all young people will be bought off with promises of free ice cream. Dermot Elworthy Tiverton, Devon SIR – I recall being enfranchised at the age of 18. I was still at school. I walked into the local office of my favoured party and asked the man behind the desk if he could explain why I should vote for it. He curtly asked me to leave. I cast my vote for Screaming Lord Sutch's Monster Raving Loony Party, which at the time was campaigning for greater availability of birth control on the NHS and the return of school milk. Chris Benn Grantham, Lincolnshire SIR – At 18 I voted for Anthony Eden because he was good-looking. He then took us into the Suez Crisis. Doris Grimsley Abbey Wood, Kent
