Scottish First Minister John Swinney has declared that giving Scots a fresh vote on independence "has never been more important, more urgent or more necessary". The SNP leader made the statement as he outlined his strategy for securing a second independence referendum.
Swinney said he is "determined" to see the SNP win a majority of seats at next May's Holyrood election to achieve another vote. This would repeat the party's success in 2011, which led to the 2014 independence referendum where a majority of Scots voted to remain part of the UK.
Young voters argument
The First Minister addressed critics who say it is too soon for another ballot by highlighting demographic changes. "By 2030, there will be one million young Scots eligible to vote who were too young in 2014. Some of them will not even have been born then. That seems like a generation to me," he said.
Scotland is facing a "pivotal moment", Swinney told supporters at an Edinburgh event, arguing that Westminster governments have "failed to deliver higher living standards". Looking ahead to a future "under Labour, under Tory, or as is looking increasingly likely Nigel Farage", he declared: "I would not be doing my duty were I not to offer people a very different choice."
Government position paper
The Scottish Government published a new paper on Thursday calling on the UK Government to "make a clear commitment to respect the people of Scotland's right to decide their future". The document argues that Scottish people can decide to hold a referendum through their votes in Scottish Parliament elections.
The paper stressed the importance of the UK Government "recognising and giving effect to that decision as they did in 2014". Swinney noted the 2014 referendum "took place following a majority SNP win in the 2011 election" and said: "That is the precedent - and that is what I am determined to repeat."
Opposition response
The UK Government has rejected requests from successive SNP first ministers for a second referendum, despite pro-independence MSPs winning majorities in 2016 and 2021. A UK Government spokesperson said: "This is simply not a priority for Scots. The Scottish Government should be focused on working with us on our Plan for Change: to grow the economy, improve our public services, and put more money in people's pockets."
Scottish Labour's Neil Bibby called it "a desperate attempt from John Swinney to deflect from his failures and try to cling to power". Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said Swinney should "stop relentlessly pushing for independence and focus on the day job" of cutting NHS waiting lists and tackling classroom violence.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
