Independence for Scotland is the “best way” to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and to help the NHS, the country’s First Minister has said.
John Swinney used a speech to declare there is “hope for a better future for Scotland” – but he told people across Scotland that they “have to go out and vote for it”.
Speaking with just over four months to go to the crucial Holyrood elections on May 7, the First Minister spoke about his “ambitious” target of winning an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament – claiming that this would lead to a second referendum on independence taking place.
Speaking to party supporters in Glasgow, Mr Swinney was clear that the ballot in May was “not just about the next five years” and who would be in charge at Holyrood.
Instead, he said the vote was “about taking the next steps for the best possible future”.
Mr Swinney said: “The best thing we can do for Scotland’s health service, the biggest step we can take to bring down energy bills across the board, and the best way to make daily life more affordable for people, is for Scotland to become an independent country.”
He added: “To become independent, we need a referendum that will be recognised by the international community.
“In 2011, Scotland secured a referendum when the SNP won a majority. It worked in 2011 – and it will work in 2026.
“So on May 7, the SNP’s aim is not just to win – our aim is to win the overall majority that secures Scotland the right to choose our own future.”
The SNP leader accepted it is an “ambitious task” he has set, but added: “Ambition is what this party is about.”
With the SNP, which has been in power in Scotland since 2007, coming under fire from political opponents over the performance of the NHS and the country’s education system, Mr Swinney accepted there is “a lot more to do”.
But he defended his party’s record, pointing to falling child poverty levels in Scotland, unemployment rates that are “significantly lower than the UK average” and where the renewable energy sector “continues to grow and grow”.
Mr Swinney said: “Scotland is by no means a perfect country.
“But, by goodness, given everything thrown at us in recent years, Scotland has strong foundations for the future under SNP leadership.”
Insisting that the election can offer Scotland a “fresh start with independence”, he added that his party must “build a national movement for hope” which “reaches into every community in the land”.
