JOHN Swinney has promised SNP members that Scots will see independence as “urgent and essential” at the next election.
The First Minister was speaking at the SNP conference in Edinburgh on Sunday – marking his first keynote conference address since becoming SNP leader and First Minister back in May.
The conference, however, comes in the wake of a bruising general election for the SNP, which saw its tally of MPs drop from 48 in 2019 to just nine.
Swinney told delegates that the party has “reflected” and “learned the lessons” from the election.
“But today, I want to talk about how we are going to go forward to a better future,” he said.
“A better future for our party – and, more importantly, a better future for our country.”
He then went on to say that one of the conclusions drawn from the Westminster election is that the SNP will “never again go into an election with people thinking: I like the idea of independence, but that can wait because I’m more concerned about the economy, or my job, or the cost of living or the NHS”.
Swinney then promised that independence will be understood as the “route to a stronger and fairer country” as well as “urgent and essential”.
“That is how we will make independence happen,” he added.
With this election seeing the Conservatives ousted after 14 years in government and Labour leader Keir Starmer installed as Prime Minister, Swinney also said his party was “very glad to see the back of the Tory government”.
But he claimed under the new administration there had been an “intensification of Tory austerity”.
Recalling how Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar had promised “no austerity under Labour” during the campaign, the First Minister said that within weeks of them taking power in Westminster Chancellor Rachel Reeves had “announced £22 billion of spending cuts”.
The SNP leader blasted: “That is politics at its most cynical – and a total breach of trust with all those who supported Labour.”
In what he said would be an “era-defining moment” the First Minister told the conference: “A Labour party that promised change is delivering more of the same.
“The same Tory debt rule. The same Tory cuts agenda.
“Labour hasn’t delivered change. Labour is delivering the same damaging austerity as the Tories.”
With Labour MPs having voted against scrapping the two child limit on some benefits, and the UK Government having then announced the winter fuel payment would no longer be paid to all pensioners, he claimed that “Labour appear to want us to abandon low-income families; to abandon children in poverty”.
Swinney also paid tribute to his wife Elizabeth during the speech, who has multiple sclerosis.
"Elizabeth’s condition is something that affects our lives every minute of every day. We have to make plans, we have to make adjustments, we have to sometimes accept that some things are just not possible to do," he said.
"But despite all of that, Elizabeth remains determined that her condition should not stop her – and those around her - from living life to the full.
"I can only lead this Party, and be First Minister of Scotland, because Elizabeth is prepared to make the sacrifice of not having her husband around quite as much as she probably needs."
Swinney then added, teary-eyed: "So to Elizabeth, thank you for giving so much so I can serve our country."
The speech lacked any big policy moves, setting it apart from Swinney's predecessor Humza Yousaf's speech at SNP conference last year where a council tax freeze was one of several announced.
However, it's important to note that Swinney this coming Wednesday will be setting out his first programme for government, setting out the legislation his administration will bring forward at Holyrood this coming year.
He said his statement then would build on the SNP’s record in power since 2007 “building on our beliefs that investing in our people, our public services and our planet is the means to building prosperity for all”.
He then told delegates: “In an era of Westminster cuts, we are going to have to work harder, and smarter, if we are to deliver on our ambitions for Scotland.”
With Swinney having already made plain tackling child poverty will be a priority for him, he said he would set out how the Scottish Government could “tailor support better to families ensuring they get the help they need, when they need it”.
He added that this support would “not have the immediate impact of ending the two-child cap”, but he said it was “an example of the sustained, smarter policy making we are delivering in government”.
You can read the full speech here.
