Swinney to tell SNP conference "stars are aligning" for Scottish independence

Centre · 2Scottish First Minister John Swinney will tell the SNP conference in Aberdeen on Saturday that "the stars are aligning" for Scottish independence. 1 2 Centre · 2He will describe 2026 as "a turning point" in Scotland's "journey towards statehood" and say "there is no turning back". 1 2 Centre · 2According to extracts of the speech, he will say: "The SNP is making the weather" and "the wind is now firmly in the sails of Scotland's independence movement". He will also claim the unionist parties at Westminster are "weaker than they have ever been". 1 2

Centre · 2He will point to the position of the other devolved leaders, saying that "in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, every First Minister now supports our nations' right to self-determination". The Evening Standard links this to Plaid Cymru's historic win in Wales in May, which ousted Labour from power in the Senedd, and to a Sinn Féin First Minister in Northern Ireland. 1 2 Centre · 1The BBC adds that the nationalist first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland held a summit in Cardiff last month. They signed an agreement, which is not legally binding, saying no Westminster government had the right to "block democracy". 2 Centre · 2Swinney will say that had the SNP lost the May Scottish Parliament election, the case for independence "would have been set back decades". 1 2

Centre · 2The SNP won a record fifth term at Holyrood in May but did not win the overall majority Swinney had set as his target for trying to force a second referendum despite Westminster opposition. 1 2 Centre · 2The speech follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first major speech in Scotland since entering Downing Street, delivered in Motherwell on Friday. Burnham offered to work with the SNP to deepen devolution and said he wanted to "move beyond the old politics of conflict". 1 2 Centre · 1The BBC reports that Burnham previously told Swinney in Glasgow that a second referendum remains "off limits". It also says he told MPs a border poll would be considered in Scotland and Northern Ireland if there was a clear consensus and public opinion had changed. 2

Centre · 1Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay responded that Swinney is "like a broken record" with an "obsession with breaking up the UK", and said Scots want lower bills and better public services. 1 Centre · 1As background, Scotland voted against independence by 55% to 45% in 2014, successive UK governments have since opposed further referendums, and in 2022 the UK Supreme Court ruled that another vote would need UK government agreement. 2