John Swinney calls on SNP to stop focus on route to independence ten years after Yes campaign defeat

Mr Swinney called on his party to put a re-run of the 2014 referendum on the backburner, ten years on from the independence vote which saw the Yes campaign defeated.

Instead - speaking on the anniversary of the poll, which saw the No campaign win with 55 per cent of the vote - Mr Swinney said the SNP should prove that “independence is the solution to the immediate concerns of people in Scotland”.

In a shift away from the strategy unsuccessfully pursued by Nicola Sturgeon for the majority of the past decade, the First Minister suggested the SNP and wider Yes movement building support for independence is the priority instead of securing a route to a new referendum - after calls repeatedly fell on deaf ears at Westminster.

Mr Swinney said that boosting support for separation would make Westminster’s opposition to giving Scotland a second say on the constitution “unsustainable” and admitted there is “no shortcut to independence”.

But he claimed that Scotland is closer to independence than it was in 2014 and called on SNP activists to “reawaken that sense of hope, of optimism and of possibility” from the 2014 vote after enduring “a long, dark decade” he claimed has been caused by decisions at Westminster.

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Speaking in Edinburgh, the First Minister said it was important to “reflect on a moment of tremendous significance in Scotland’s past” but also “demonstrate our commitment to Scotland’s future”.

Mr Swinney said that for those pushing for separation in 2014, “the excitement of the campaign turned to heartbreak as the declarations started pouring in”.

He added: “I remember seeing the boxes being opened in Perth and knowing, quite quickly, that we were not going to win at that count. But as the night wore on, it became clear we were not going to make it across Scotland.

“Even though I was devastated by the result, I am in no doubt that Scotland’s independence referendum has left an overwhelmingly positive legacy on our country. And we – the Scottish National Party – should be incredibly proud that, together, we made that happen.”

The SNP leader argued that the expansion of devolved powers since the 2014 referendum is proof that “constitutional change delivers real change in our country”, adding “that’s Scotland’s legacy in the last ten years”.

He said: “We have delivered change for people in Scotland because this country demanded more power and more responsibility for the people of this country.”

Mr Swinney bluntly told activists that “the SNP’s job is to get on with setting out the better alternative” than Scotland remaining part of the Union.

He said: “Our job is to make independence relevant to the everyday concerns of every citizen in Scotland.”

Mr Swinney added that it was crucial to show the public “that the powers of independence can help us grow our economy in a way that works for everyone” and to “make our public services the best they can be”.

He said: “I committed to proving that independence is the solution to the immediate concerns of people in Scotland - on the NHS, schools, the cost of living, on energy prices

“That’s the way SNP campaigning will persuade more people in Scotland of the merits of Independence. That is how we will win Scotland’s independence.”

Asked if Scotland was any closer to independence than it was in 2014, Mr Swinney said: “I think we are closer”. 

He added: “As a result of that referendum, we were able to secure more powers that gave us more scope to act on tax and welfare issues, over plenty of other questions.

“As a consequence, we have made a difference in the lives of people in Scotland. People can see the positive impact of decisions being made here in Scotland.

“We’ve got to extend that onto other issues that are on the minds are are priorities  for people in Scotland. They see independence as the pathway to doing that.

“I think we’re closer to achieving that than we were in 2014.”

But the First Minister would not be drawn on any method to actually delivering independence or a second referendum other than hoping increased support for separation would lead to Westminster buckling and agreeing to a re-run of the 2014 vote.

He said: “The United Kingdom government cannot turn its back on the democratic wishes of the people of Scotland.

“Our priority is to build support for independence.”

Mr Swinney admitted that “there’s no shortcut to independence”, adding that “a Westminster government that denies the democratic choices of the people of Scotland” was “an unsustainable position”.

But Mr Swinney’s address has been criticised by opponents.

Scottish Conservative leader, Douglas Ross, accused Mr Swinney and his colleagues of presiding over a “lost decade” since the independence referendum.

Mr Ross said: “As historians look back over the last 10 years, they will see them as Scotland’s lost decade.

“The years in which we divided our country and fought bitter arguments against ourselves on an issue we had already voted on.

“Generations of Scots will come to see this as a national act of self-harm.”

He added: “They will wonder why some chose to continue the same arguments again and again, why the government of the day chose to indulge in fantasy politics instead of dealing with the real issues faced by our country, or why the national interest was ignored for the SNP’s nationalist interest.

“My message to John Swinney and the SNP government is this: You lost, get over it and let us all move on.”

Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, questioned “what has this SNP government been doing over the last 10 years” since the referendum.

He added: “he truth is that we have had such little progress in Scotland over the last ten years because the SNP has been leading a campaign not a government and has been hiding their failings behind the smokescreen of the constitution.

“And people in Scotland have paid the price for this failure – regardless of whether they voted Yes or No in that referendum.”

Mr Sarwar said: “Whether they voted Yes or No, they're stuck on NHS waiting lists and whether they voted Yes or No, their children are not getting the standard of education that they deserve.

 “The SNP used to be focused on the future – now they are the party of the past - of decline and failure.”