John Swinney (SNP) has declared the SNP will "win big" at next year's Holyrood election during a debate at his party's conference in Aberdeen on Saturday. The First Minister outlined his most assertive strategy yet for achieving Scottish independence through his proposals for the 2026 election.
Under Swinney's proposals, which faced a vote on Saturday afternoon, an SNP majority at the 2026 election would be required to trigger another independence referendum. This represents his most combative stance on independence since becoming First Minister last year.
Leadership determination outlined
Swinney told delegates the precedent was clear when the SNP wins a majority. "The precedent is clear, when the SNP win a majority, we deliver a referendum on independence," he said. "We did it 2011 and I want us to do it in 2026, to give our people a choice on their future."
The First Minister emphasised he did not become leader to "make a difference at the margins, or to make a bit of progress towards independence". He declared: "No, I took the leadership to deliver independence and that's exactly what I'm going to do for Scotland. We will deliver Scotland's choice and we, the Scottish National Party, will win independence for Scotland."
Despite recent electoral setbacks that reduced the party to nine Westminster MPs, the SNP maintains a polling lead ahead of next year's Holyrood election. However, securing the majority Swinney has targeted remains a significant challenge.
Campaign message crystallised
Swinney urged activists to deliver a clear message to voters between now and May. "That we go to our fellow Scots between now and May with a clear, simple and unambiguous message - only a vote for the SNP will secure Scotland's right to decide," he said. "Only a vote for the SNP will secure Scotland's independence and that is what this party is about."
The First Minister made his most emphatic declaration to conference delegates: "Let us agree today that we're not just going to win, we are going to win big. We're going to win a majority for the SNP to deliver that choice for Scotland."
Internal opposition emerges
The First Minister's strategy faced internal opposition from activists proposing an amendment to treat next year's election as a de-facto referendum on independence. Graeme McCormick, who considered a leadership bid last year before allowing Swinney to win unopposed, spoke in favour of the amendment.
McCormick warned the party is "hollowing out" with membership reductions across all branches. "There isn't a branch that hasn't suffered significant reductions," he said. "People are not renewing their membership and they're walking away. We've got to reverse that and the reason for that is that we don't inspire them."
He argued that securing a popular mandate for independence would revitalise membership and attract supporters from other parties. "If we get the Scottish people, the majority of the Scottish people, in a popular vote to say 'we'll give you a mandate to deliver independence', and we say by a certain day we will do it, we will inspire the membership," McCormick said. "They'll come back and even people who are in other parties will come back."
McCormick made a direct appeal to selected candidates to vote against the party hierarchy. "Just think of the legacy that would have if you are part of the Scottish Parliament, and then the provisional government of Scotland, then the government of an independent Scotland," he told them. "So I appeal to the candidates, you're not being disloyal to any leadership, you're being loyal to the people of Scotland."
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
