Swinney vows to push ahead with independence bid, citing rise of Farage

The First Minister said Scotland must be given the power to hold another vote before Nigel Farage becomes Prime Minister in 2029, as polls suggest.

He pledged to lock Mr Farage’s party, Reform UK, out of governance in Scotland. It comes after Reform UK won 17 MSPs at the election on Thursday, making it the joint second-largest party with Scottish Labour.

Opposition politicians accused Mr Swinney of “shamelessly attempting to move the goalposts” on independence.

READ MORE: Malcolm Offord hires veteran ex-Labour MP as advisor as Reform looks to re-brand in Scotland

Speaking in Edinburgh, the SNP leader said: "It is vital that we unite in Scotland to ensure our parliament is fully Farage-proofed. That means having the power before 2029 to decide our own constitutional future without Farage being able to block us."

During the election campaign, the First Minister repeatedly emphasised the need to win an overall SNP majority to break the constitutional logjam and secure a second referendum, citing the precedent of 2011.

He said his independence proposals were “predicated” on this.

However, while the SNP remains by far the largest party in Holyrood, with 58 MSPs, it fell seven seats short of an outright majority. Nevertheless, there is a large pro-independence majority due to a surge in support for the Scottish Greens, who won 15 seats.

In addition, Mr Swinney said there are now set to be first ministers in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland “all committed to fundamental constitutional change”.

He said: "If Westminster has not yet grasped the significance of this moment, then it certainly will come to appreciate it in the weeks and the months ahead, believe me.

"Because the direction of travel is clear. What people in London like to refer to rather patronisingly as the Celtic fringe is very much about to become centre stage."

Mr Swinney said there had now been a pro-independence majority in Holyrood for four elections in a row.

"This mandate has been ignored by successive Westminster prime ministers, Labour and Tory, year after year after year,” he said.

"I had hoped in this election we could break the logjam by securing the only thing which has previously actually secured a vote, which was an SNP majority. 

"Although we've come very close to achieving that, that SNP majority has not been accomplished. 

"But that does not change the underlying fact that despite all the attempts to stop us, for the fourth election in a row, there is a pro-independence mandate in the new Scottish Parliament. 

"Indeed, there are now more pro-independence MSPs than at any time in the history of the Scottish Parliament. The way forward on this must be made in Scotland.

"The results across the UK made clear why the need for independence is so urgent. Nigel Farage is now galloping towards Downing Street, and the prospect of a Reform-led government is more likely than not."

The First Minister previously said he would bring forward a Holyrood vote to “approve the development of a Section 30” on the first sitting day after the appointment of the new government.

This would give Scotland the power to hold an independence referendum, but it can only be granted by Westminster.

Asked if he will still push ahead with this, Mr Swinney said: "I certainly intend to carry on with my plans, yes."

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, whose party suffered its worst result in the history of devolution, with just 12 MSPs returned, said: "Less than 24 hours after the Scottish Conservatives stopped the majority that John Swinney said he would get, he is shamelessly attempting to move the goalposts.

"This confirms that his only interest is breaking up the UK - not helping the people of Scotland.

"He is brazenly peddling a massive lie by claiming that he has the support and the mandate for another divisive referendum.

"While it might be tempting to dismiss him as an independence obsessed crank, we know that he is deadly serious which is why we will continue to say 'no'."

READ MORE: So who is the main opposition in the Scottish Parliament - Reform or Labour? How will it work?

Alastair Cameron, chair of the pro-UK campaign group Scotland in Union, said: “John Swinney has predictably used his first day after the election result to push his nationalist agenda.

“But Scots don’t agree, and polling repeatedly shows there are many other areas they regard as far more important.

“However Mr Swinney tries to spin the election results, it would be inexcusable to plunge us into yet more constitutional chaos.

“If the SNP is to govern for everyone for the next five years, it must park talk of the constitution and instead – for the first time in two decades – prioritise health, education and the economy.”

Elsewhere, Mr Swinney said he will lock Reform out of co-operation talks in Holyrood as he seeks to form a minority administration.

“That will be viewed by some people as me being exclusive,” he said. “It’s me being deliberately firm about what I’m going to do, and setting out the boundaries of my co-operation.”

He previously said racism was partly behind rising support for Reform.

Reform UK’s Scottish leader Malcolm Offord said: “This is a disgraceful attempt by John Swinney and the SNP to silence the hundreds of thousands of people across Scotland who are backing Reform UK.

“As of Friday evening, the people of Scotland made us the second largest party in the country.

“The First Minister talks endlessly about democracy and inclusion, yet the moment voters support a party that challenges the failing political consensus at Holyrood, he wants to pretend they don’t exist.

“It is arrogant, petty and deeply undemocratic. What’s more exactly the kind of out-of-touch establishment politics people are sick of.

“The SNP can lock the doors of St Andrew's House if they like but they cannot shut down the growing demand for real change in Scotland.

“Reform UK will continue fighting for ordinary people who feel abandoned by the political class.”

Mr Findlay said Reform UK are not a Unionist party and “don’t appear to stand for anything”.

“I think the rise of Reform, the one-man band of Reform, is deeply concerning,” he said. “They are not a Unionist party, I’ve said that throughout the campaign.

“They don’t appear to have any coherent policies in Scotland, they don’t appear to stand for anything, they don’t stand for the Union.

“They talk about nationalising some industries, they appear to say that the SNP’s welfare bill is perfectly reasonable.

“I think the more that people see of this party – and it’s a fairly odd collection of characters who appear to very little in common with each other – the more they will see in the Conservatives what we have always been, which is the strong, sensible, credible voice of opposition, the people that can be trusted to hold the SNP to account.”