Latest news with #ScottishIndependence
Irish Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
A Nigel Farage-led UK goverment could herald a united Ireland
The election of Reform Party leader, Nigel Farage , as British prime minister after the next Westminster election would accelerate support for Irish unification and Scottish independence, former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said. Speaking on the BBC's The View programme, shown on BBC Northern Ireland on Thursday night, Mr Varadkar praised British prime minister Keir Starmer 's attitudes towards Ireland since his election last year. 'Prime minister Starmer might be re-elected for a second term. It's equally possible – not probable – but possible, that Nigel Farage could be prime minister of the UK in four years' time, or in nine years' time,' said Mr Varadkar. 'That would change the picture,' he said, and change opinions about Irish unification among 'some people in the middle ground in Northern Ireland if in Westminster we had an English nationalist government'. READ MORE Mr Farage's party won hundreds of seats across England and Wales in May's local elections and frequently leads national opinion polls ahead of Labour and the Conservatives. Even the possibility of a Reform-led government in London strongly supports his contention that the Irish Government should be planning for Irish unification, even if it offered no view on when a referendum should be held, Mr Varadkar said. 'It makes sense to do a bit of horizon scanning, to do a bit of scenario planning, to think about some of those issues, even if it's a just-in-case,' he said. A Farage-led administration would 'double down on Brexit' because those who supported the UK's exit from the EU believed 'it wasn't done properly', the former Fine Gael leader and taoiseach said. 'What you'd see is an attempt to rescind many of the things that prime minister Starmer and his government have done to bring the United Kingdom even further away from the European Union,' he said. [ Explainer: what is Keir Starmer's Brexit reset deal? Opens in new window ] Mr Varadkar said he believed a Farage-led UK government would put Irish unification 'centre stage'. 'And it isn't just because a right-wing nationalist government in London would want to bring the UK and Northern Ireland away from Europe,' he said. Many conservative and populist attitudes pushed by Reform on social issues, such as gay rights, would not be liked by a majority of people in Northern Ireland, from both traditions, he said. '[They] have a liberal and European outlook, and if that's the kind of government they had in London versus a government in Dublin that was very different, it might make them more likely to vote yes to unification,' he said. Mr Varadkar said he hoped a Farage-led government would not happen, 'but I'm saying it could, and we should think about that'. If Farage succeeds, it will be because of English voters showing 'scant regard' for opinions in Northern Ireland and Scotland, he said. 'We've seen that happen before, and we saw it happen with Brexit. Could it happen in four to nine years? It could.' [ Rory Stewart: Britons' view of Ireland has gone from 'patronising superiority to complete ignorance' Opens in new window ] Since he stepped down as taoiseach, Mr Varadkar has repeatedly supported Irish unification, though he told the BBC programme that he had not begun planning for unity during his time in power because he was trying to secure an EU/UK deal. Unification is 'not inevitable' and must be worked towards, he said, but there are 'a lot of factors that would suggest that we're on that trajectory', especially recent polling showing that a majority of young people in Northern Ireland favour it, he said. 'I think that will carry through, and that's why I think it's something that we should plan for,' he said. 'I think it's something that shouldn't just be an aspiration; it's something that should be an objective of the Irish Government, and of Irish society.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EUAN MCCOLM: As a delusional Swinney claims independence is just within his grasp, the stench of panic in the SNP is overwhelming
The stench of panic is overwhelming. First Minister John Swinney, humiliated by the SNP 's defeat in the recent Hamilton, Larkhall, and Stonehouse by-election, faces a revolution in his party. There have already been public calls for him to step down while, privately, colleagues have discussed a possible coup. In desperation, Mr Swinney is fighting back in the only way he knows how: by promising another push for Scottish independence. In a speech in Edinburgh yesterday afternoon, the First Minister set out what aides described as 'his vision' for what Scotland could achieve if only it was no longer part of the United Kingdom. Speaking at the Scotland 2050 conference, Mr Swinney waxed tiresome about the potential just bursting to be unleashed. It was time, he said, for Scotland 'to stand and flourish on our own two feet'. 'Independence,' said the First Minister, 'is the defining choice for this generation, have no doubt.' Like a 'clear majority' of Scots, he believed 'our nation should have the right to choose'. Of course, there is nothing especially notable about a Scottish Nationalist insisting the Union is in crisis. That mantra has existed for decades. But Mr Swinney knows not only that there is no second independence referendum on the horizon but that most Scots do not think the constitutional settlement a priority. A YouGov poll published in March showed that the question of whether Scotland should become independent sits at a lowly ninth on the list of things voters would like to see politicians deal with. More important to the overwhelming majority are such matters as the state of the NHS, the economy, the housing crisis, and the need to tackle crime. But Mr Swinney's speech was not directed at those voters. Facing the prospect of a destabilising leadership challenge, he was playing to the gallery of nationalist monomaniacs for whom independence must be achieved, no matter the cost. In common with other rigid ideologues – think supporters of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn or hardcore Brexiteers – Scottish nationalists entertain no doubts about their convictions. To the obsessive 'Braveheart', rejection by voters – whether in a Lanarkshire by-election or a national referendum – is simply proof that they've not pushed their agenda hard enough. This crank mindset led to Corbynistas complaining they'd lost the 2017 general election to the Conservatives not because their leader was too Left-wing but because he wasn't Left-wing enough. Similarly, many SNP politicians and activists believe their party lost in Hamilton, Larkhall, and Stonehouse because Mr Swinney had not played the independence card often enough. There is no question that the First Minister made errors during the campaign which saw his party lose the seat, made vacant by the untimely death of sitting MSP Christina McKelvie, to Labour. Mr Swinney's insistence that the by-election was a two-horse race between the SNP and Reform was not merely wide of the mark, it was catastrophically wrong. In fact, the numbers show it was the collapse in the nationalist vote that allowed Reform to come third. Mr Swinney's speech in Edinburgh was straight from the Nicola Sturgeon playbook. During her nine years as leader of the SNP, Ms Sturgeon repeatedly declared that independence was just one last heave from being achieved. She promised referendums she could not deliver and she urged supporters to prepare for victory. Unfortunately, despite the undoubted passion with which Ms Sturgeon spoken on the subject, her words could not bend reality. Not only had she no power to deliver 'Indyref2', polls showed that the majority of Scots didn't want it. John Swinney now stands in the delusion zone, established by Ms Sturgeon. From there, he proclaims victory is within his grasp. The fact that the power to run another referendum remains with the UK Government is not the only bump in the road Swinney wishes to travel. His government's record of failure is another barrier to him achieving his ambition of shattering the Union. In yesterday's speech, the First Minister spoke of the ways in which Scotland had been held back by a 'broken' and 'failing' Westminster system. 'I have long believed,' he intoned, 'that Scotland is an afterthought to successive UK governments. 'Scotland is not on Westminster's radar in the same way, say, as London, the Midlands or the South East. 'It holds us back in ways big and small, leaving us waiting and praying, hoping that decisions taken at Westminster are not too damaging. 'We are prey to a broken system and a failing economic model – a system that delivers for a very few at the very top, while living standards stagnate and real wages are squeezed for the vast majority.' I have no doubt that this 'analysis' will satisfy nationalist fundamentalists for whom 'independence, nothing less' is the sole objective. But others may, I must inform Mr Swinney, have noticed that, for the past 18 years, the SNP government has taken the vast majority of decisions relating to public services in Scotland. Our NHS is not in crisis because of the actions of politicians at Westminster but because of the failure of the SNP to invest and reform. Standards in Scottish schools have not plummeted because of the decisions taken by successive Prime Ministers in London but because of the neglect of the Scottish Nationalists. Given the powers of the Scottish Government he leads, Mr Swinney's claim that Scots are 'prey' to a broken system is beyond laughable. The First Minister's characterisation of Scotland as victim of the Union is further undermined by the latest spending review, announced last week, by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, which will see Scottish Government coffers swell with an extra £9.1billion. When, two decades ago, the SNP moved from the fringes of Scottish politics to become the dominant force, the claim that the UK Government had forgotten Scotland had real power. Disillusionment with Tony Blair's Labour Government was widespread in Scotland and the Nationalists, under the late Alex Salmond, had real energy. But it's a very long time since the SNP could credibly blame 'Westminster' for Scotland's ills. Under the Nationalists, our devolved parliament has gained greater powers, including over taxation, yet these steps on the road towards independence have not improved living standards for Scots. Fighting to save his job, John Swinney wishes us to believe that Scotland will only truly prosper when it finally frees itself of the ties of Union. The truth is that the SNP government is to blame for the parlous state of Scottish public services. John Swinney and the SNP do not hold the solution to Scotland's problems. Rather, they are the cause of them.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Why is John Swinney talking about independence now?
It should be unremarkable that First Minister John Swinney is once again making the case for Scottish all, he is also the leader of the Scottish National Party, which literally exists to achieve statehood for the Scotland 2050 conference on Tuesday, Swinney argued that Scotland was treated as an "afterthought" by Westminster and had the "capacity to stand and flourish on our own two feet".These arguments are not new but there seems to be a renewed effort to make them. What has perhaps been more remarkable is how relatively muted Swinney and other leading SNP figures have been on this subject over the past have talked about it but this conversation has been secondary to a focus on dealing with the day-to-day business of devolved defeat in the 2024 general election - after nearly a decade of political dominance of Scottish seats at Westminster - was a serious setback to their went into that campaign with a manifesto that on page one, line one, said: "Vote SNP for Scotland to become an independent country". What has happened to the SNP vote? Instead, a significant portion of their usual support either stayed at home or switched to Labour to help them deliver "change" by ousting the Conservative "yellow wall" the SNP had built across the central belt of Scotland crumbled. Nationwide, they lost 39 of their 48 seats, mostly to had only been party leader for a matter of weeks at this point so he escaped much of the blame for this catastrophic was, however, left to pick up the pieces from this and the wider series of problems his party Perthshire North MSP was elected SNP leader unopposed after Humza Yousaf quit rather than lose a confidence vote at Holyrood following his decision to collapse his party's power sharing deal with the Greens. There was internal strife over gender politics, environmental commitments and a police investigation into the SNP's finances which has since developed into a prosecution of the party's former chief executive, Peter Murrell. Alongside all of this, the party's independence strategy had hit a brick Nicola Sturgeon was first minister, she promised another referendum and, when the UK government refused to grant Holyrood the power to proceed, the Scottish government took a case to the UK Supreme Court to see if they could go ahead judges ruled that any future referendum must have the consent of UK party flirted with the idea of treating a national election as a makeshift referendum but they knew that trying to win more than half the votes in a multi-party contest would be an extremely difficult thing to do and backed away from you are the SNP leader you cannot just give up on independence. As the former first minister Alex Salmond once said: "The dream shall never die". What do the polls say about independence? Independence has not had much profile since the 2024 election to allow Swinney time to bring calm to the chaos he also wanted to demonstrate a commitment to dealing with everyday issues like reducing NHS waiting times and child first minister has repeatedly stressed that delivering on these priorities is what his administration is sees this as an essential route to renewing trust with voters and convincing them to keep him in there are other factors for him to consider. Support for independence is far greater than support for the SNP according to the current trend in opinion used to be a much closer relationship between the two but the gap has widened considerably since Sturgeon left office and since the police investigation into party finances became headline this be a potential well of support to be tapped ahead of the Holyrood election in May 2026? Current supporters of the SNP also need to be motivated to campaign for the party and to turn out to one senior SNP source put it: "There is an undercurrent of anxiety in the party to get on the front foot". That's especially true after losing the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election earlier this month. How much should the SNP talk about independence? Supporters of Swinney argue that while that defeat was disappointing, it was sufficiently narrow (Labour edged it by 600 votes) to suggest the SNP is able to get a hearing again from talk about Swinney's leadership entering a new phase where not only will he seek to demonstrate delivery in devolved government but also invite the public to imagine what more could be achieved if Scotland was an independent is essentially what he did at the Scotland 2050 conference on Tuesday, describing this as the "defining choice" of this generation, without setting out how or when this choice might be is a significant tension in his dual approach to political Swinney is perceived to be talking about independence too much, he risks undermining his own commitment to focus on fixing problems in the devolved public he is seen to talk about independence too little, he risks alienating those within and beyond the membership of the SNP who support this political sources believe they need to find a careful balance between the two and develop a credible story about competency in government that can help grow support for was more or less the strategy that Salmond pursued in the early years of SNP administration. It is harder problem is that after eighteen years in office, the party cannot avoid responsibility for many of the challenges Scotland faces including large NHS waiting lists, overcrowded prisons and ferries that are long overdue and massively over budget. Will there be a second indyref? In another speech this week, Swinney set out plans to use technology to overhaul our public vision of a "digital refit" is not going to be delivered before the Holyrood election and whatever the SNP leader can achieve in the next eleven months, many problems will remain independence, his political opponents who want Scotland to remain part of the UK will accuse him of pursuing an obsession that was rejected in the 2014 will also argue that Scottish independence would add to uncertainty at a time of global is no obvious prospect of another referendum in the near future and senior SNP figures accept there would need to be sustained majority support for independence to overcome the UK veto on another will presumably be among the topics discussed further at the SNP's national council in Perth on Saturday, where independence is the key item on the agenda of the body which offers a bridge between the party leadership and its re-emergence of independence campaigning is a reminder that this remains a fundamental fault line in Scottish politics, even if it appears more dormant than at any time since the referendum in 2014.
The National
4 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Musicians called to join Stirling independence rally
Taking place in Bannockburn, Stirling, on Saturday, the group have asked musicians to get in touch after pipe band Saor Alba Pipes and Drums had to cancel their appearance at the upcoming rally. READ MORE: Top Scottish Greens face coordinated challenges for MSP spots from party members A statement from the group said: 'The pipe band Saor Alba Pipes and Drums have informed us that sadly they will be unable to attend Stirling this year, so we are putting out this call for musicians to march with us next weekend. 'Whether you play the pipes or the drums, or play other musical instruments, and you can make it along next Saturday – then you are most welcome. We encourage you to be at Old Stirling Bridge for 10.30AM sharp, 21 June.' AUOB have also requested that participants make the march 'highly audible' through the use of megaphones, whistles, percussion instruments or portable speakers. Saturday's march will take off from Old Stirling Bridge at 11am and will head on to Bannockburn Field. READ MORE: Why using sterling after independence would be huge strategic mistake A similar rally took place in 2024, designed in part to commemorate the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, in which Robert the Bruce claimed victory over the army of King Edward II of England. The group added: 'AUOB calls for the movement to unite and march next Saturday; making a powerful demonstration and statement of intent. 'Scotland's ancient past calls to our future; what we must do to make independence happen, and make it stand.' This weekend marks the group's second rally this year, following a successful march in Glasgow earlier this year which saw an estimated 5000 attendees walk from Kelvinbridge to Glasgow Green. YesBikers for Scottish Independence were also in attendance and are set to lead the Stirling procession from the bridge. The last AUOB march of 2025 is set to take place in Edinburgh on September 6.
Telegraph
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
SNP rebels ‘plot to oust leader' after by-election defeat
SNP rebels are plotting to oust their leader after the party's by-election defeat last week. Twenty-five senior SNP figures are said to have held a meeting on Monday night to discuss removing John Swinney, the First Minister of Scotland, as party leader, barely a year after he succeeded Humza Yousaf. The Herald newspaper suggested Mr Swinney might face a leadership challenge at the SNP conference in October if he did not come up with a new strategy to achieve Scottish independence in the next two weeks. The row erupted as Mr Swinney conducted a mini-reshuffle of his front-bench team following the death of Christine McKelvie, the drugs minister, which triggered a Scottish Parliament by-election in her Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse constituency. The SNP were hot favourites to win the contest, but Labour pulled off a surprise victory. The defeat followed Labour's rout of the SNP in last year's general election, also under Mr Swinney's leadership. Alex Neil, a former SNP health secretary, said Mr Swinney should be replaced. Labour criticised the First Minister for running a 'dishonest' by-election by claiming voters faced a 'two-horse race' between the SNP and Reform UK . Paul McLennan, the SNP housing minister before the reshuffle, also attacked the party's 'negative' campaign, saying it should have been focused on 'giving people reasons to vote for the SNP, not against Reform'. Mr Swinney initially won praise for overseeing a recovery in the SNP's fortunes, following the troubled final months of Nicola Sturgeon's premiership and Mr Yousaf's chaotic tenure. However, he angered hard-line Nationalists by warning that support for independence would have to increase to more than 60 per cent to force the UK Government to allow another referendum. The Herald said there was a unanimous view at the rebels' meeting that the First Minister had 'no intention of putting independence anywhere near the party's narrative whatsoever'. 'If there is nothing in the next couple of weeks from the leadership, then conference will be a bloodbath,' a source said. Under SNP rules, any member who can secure 100 nominations from 20 different branches ahead of party conference can trigger a leadership vote. Rank-and-file challenger? Although the source doubted that an MP or MSP would challenge Mr Swinney for the leadership, they said a rank-and-file activist could come forward and any contest would be 'hugely damning and damaging, and make the party look utterly ridiculous'. They also warned that the rebel faction could attempt to use internal elections to seize key positions on the SNP's ruling national executive committee (NEC) such as depute leader and national secretary. An SNP insider said: 'NEC members better start looking for new hobbies unless the leadership announces a change of direction soon – because at this rate we are heading for a mass clear-out.' They said Mr Swinney had 'dropped independence' during his first ill-fated stint as party leader, between 2000 and 2004, and that had ended in 'a bruising defeat' at the ballot box. 'The ability to make the case for independence is not a desirable part of the job description – it is essential – and he has failed on probation,' they said. 'The Presbyterian schoolmaster might fly in Perthshire – but in the rest of Scotland it just does not land. Stabilising the party only works for a short time. There is no energy, no fire, no boldness, no long-term vision.' Starmer: Scots want change In the House of Commons, Joani Reid, the Labour MP for East Kilbride and Strathaven, raised the SNP's by-election defeat and the reports of plotting against Mr Swinney at Prime Minister's Questions. To laughter, she asked Sir Keir Starmer: 'Does he agree with me that a leader who has only ever lost elections to the Labour Party should stay put?' The Prime Minister said: 'After nearly two decades in power, the SNP got their verdict last Thursday. Scotland wants change, and they know the SNP are completely out of ideas. That is why they want a Labour Government to deliver real change.' An SNP spokesman said: 'Since John Swinney became leader last year he has brought the SNP back together and the party is back to doing what it does best – standing up for the people of Scotland. 'In the run-up to next year's Scottish Parliament election, the SNP will continue to deliver for people across the country, while setting out a clear and hopeful vision for their future as an independent country.'
