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The Herald Scotland
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Fergus Ewing's Break with the SNP Explained:
SNP family legacy Fergus Ewing, the long-serving SNP MSP for Inverness and Nairn, has confirmed he will stand as an independent candidate in the 2026 Holyrood election. Mr Ewing's ties to the Scottish National Party run deep — he was, as he has said before, 'literally born into the SNP'. His mother, the late Winnie Ewing, is a party legend, famously winning the 1967 Hamilton by-election — a breakthrough moment for the SNP — and reconvening the Scottish Parliament in 1999 as its eldest member. Politics is a family affair for Mr Ewing. His sister, Annabelle Ewing, is also an SNP MSP, while his late wife, Margaret Ewing, served as an MP and MSP for the party between the 1970s and early 2000s. Winnie Ewing with Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon (Image: PA) Long-serving MSP and minister Mr Ewing has represented the Highlands in Holyrood since the first elections in 1999 — initially for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, and, since 2011, for its successor seat, Inverness and Nairn. He spent 14 years in government, serving under both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, with portfolios ranging from community safety and tourism to energy and rural affairs. His final ministerial post was Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy. Despite his loyal service, Mr Ewing has long had an independent streak — something he says voters appreciate. 'Frankly, if they wanted a doormat, they'd have gone to B&Q.' Fergus Ewing in Holyrood's ministerial lift. Clashes, controversy and confidence votes In recent years, Mr Ewing's willingness to speak out has led to open conflict with SNP leadership. He was a vocal critic of the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens, calling it a 'strategic blunder'. He also opposed several high-profile policies, including: The Deposit Return Scheme A proposed ban on new gas boilers Plans to designate 10% of Scotland's seas as Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) He famously ripped up an HPMA consultation document in parliament, calling it a 'notice of execution' for the fishing industry. Fergus Ewing ripping up the HPMA consultation (Image: NQ) In 2022, he voted against gender recognition reforms, defying the party whip. The breaking point came in 2023, when he supported a no-confidence motion against Green minister Lorna Slater, resulting in a one-week suspension from the SNP group. Mr Ewing remained unapologetic: 'The SNP I joined would never have asked me… to choose between loyalty to party and loyalty to constituents.' He criticised what he called a culture of 'sourness and hostility' in the party and accused the leadership of preferring 'obedient and pliant' candidates. The road to standing as an independent In March 2025, Mr Ewing announced he would not seek re-selection as an SNP candidate, citing the party's broken promises on dualling the A9 and A96. 'I cannot, with honour, stand up in front of my constituents and say I am standing as an SNP candidate,' he said. He accused the SNP of deserting key voter groups, including farmers, fishermen and North Sea oil workers. On June 20, Mr Ewing confirmed he would run as an independent in the 2026 election. 'This has not been an easy decision,' he said, 'but I love the people of Inverness and Nairn more than my party.' He called for Holyrood to move beyond partisan bickering and return to 'its best'. A High-Profile Showdown Mr Ewing will now face off against his own party. The SNP has selected Highlands and Islands list MSP Emma Roddick to contest the seat. First Minister John Swinney expressed 'deep regret' over Mr Ewing's decision, saying he had the option to stand again. While Mr Ewing insists he has not formally quit the SNP, party sources say standing as an independent constitutes a public resignation — a breach of Article 4.4 of the party's constitution, which states that membership ceases upon death, resignation, or failure to pay dues. In 2021, Mr Ewing won 47.7% of the vote in Inverness and Nairn, securing a 9,114-vote majority over Conservative candidate Sir Edward Mountain. Emma Roddick outside Parliament Regardless of what happens next May, Mr Ewing looks set to remain a thorn in the side of the SNP. Deborah Anderson Andrew Learmonth; Kathleen Nutt; Hannah Brown; Rebecca McCurdy Catherine Salmond; Derek McArthur Hello, Would it not be easier for us to have this as a live banner though that we can ask people to attach to their files? Deborah Andrew Learmonth Kathleen Nutt; Hannah Brown; Rebecca McCurdy Deborah Anderson; Catherine Salmond undefined 60% of recipients have opened this mail. undefined Hello, Can we start adding this source code to the bottom of every politics article? It will bring up an advert and a link to Unspun Live. To add it you need to click this button on Martini. That will take you into HTML mode. And then scroll down to the bottom of the article and then copy and paste the code below. If you click on the source button again you should be able to see if it's worked. @Deborah Anderson Can we get colleagues to do this when they're working on politics tales?
Scotsman
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Scotsman
Fergus Ewing on the 'scunner' factor, falling out with the SNP and spending two hours talking in Morrisons
Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Veteran MSP Fergus Ewing has declared the 'signs are right' for his victory as an independent at next year's Holyrood election. Mr Ewing had already said he will not be a candidate for the SNP next year, having represented the party as an MSP since 1999. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad On Friday morning, he announced he would run as an independent in Inverness and Nairn, meaning he will stand against the SNP. First Minister John Swinney said he was saddened by Mr Ewing's decision 'to leave the Scottish National Party'. Fergus Ewing | Colin D Fisher/ Mr Ewing has been a vocal critic of the Scottish Government on several issues, often providing fiery contributions from the back benches. Slow progress on the dualling of the A9 and A96 roads were key to his decision to run as an independent, he said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ewing on his victory chances Asked about his chances of victory, Mr Ewing told The Scotsman: 'I've spent 26 years trying to help, assist, support, advocate the interests of people in Inverness and Nairn and we do take a real pride in trying to deal with individual cases as well as can be.' EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - JUNE 10: Fergus Ewing MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy, gives a ministerial statement on tourism during the coronavirus crisis today at the Covid-19 social distancing Scottish Parliament, Holyrood on June 10, 2020 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Fraser Bremner-Pool/Getty Images) : Fergus Ewing: "Why were local, worthy candidates rejected?" He added: 'Another aspect is that I think over the past four years, there's been a respect for my stance speaking out on the broken promises, in particular the A9 and the A96.' He was strongly critical of the Scottish Government on this issue. 'If you or I make an honest mistake and do something wrong in life, I think you and I would probably apologise,' he said. 'But they haven't ever acknowledged their faults. 'Where there should be honesty, there is hubris. Where there should be humility, there is denial.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Ewing said he has strong local support. 'Two Fridays ago, it took me two hours to get through Morrisons to do some shopping for four items, and I wasn't swithering in the aisles,' he said. 'It was just people wanting to speak to me. 'It's easy to overestimate one's own personal popularity, but I did get a majority of around nine [thousand] or 10,000 for the past three elections and I think I'm in with for a shout. But let the people decide. 'I'm certainly going to put everything into it, as I have done before.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The 'scunner' factor Mr Ewing said there was also a 'scunner' factor which may benefit him. 'People are scunnered with both governments at the moment, and that's why Reform is picking up votes with no known leaders in Scotland whatsoever,' he said. 'So I think the signs are propitious. The signs are right.' He said he was still a member of the SNP. 'Whether or not they take action is up to them,' he said. 'I'm waiting with some curiosity. 'But if you think about it, it's not me that's broken the policy on the A9 and the A96. It's not me that no longer believes that it's Scotland's oil. It's not me that's turned the back on the workers in Grangemouth, and did very little, very late. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's not me that's let down rural Scotland. It's not me that's broken all those policies that we had championed in the interests of the people in Scotland.' The SNP said its constitution states membership ceases when an individual declares their intention to stand against the party. Ewing's family links to SNP Mr Ewing is the son of nationalist trailblazer Winnie Ewing and previously served as a minister. Winnie Ewing (right), arriving in London with her children, Fergus, Terry and Annabelle, in 1967 | Getty Images Since leaving government, he has criticised SNP ministers on a range of issues, including the decision to bring the Greens into the Scottish Government in the Bute House Agreement, which collapsed last year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Emma Roddick has been selected as the SNP candidate for Inverness and Nairn. In 2021, Mr Ewing won the seat for the SNP with a majority of 9,114. John Swinney's response SNP leader Mr Swinney said: 'It was with real sadness and deep regret that I heard of Fergus Ewing's decision to leave the Scottish National Party. First Minister John Swinney addressing the Scotland 2050 conference in Edinburgh | PA 'We have both served the SNP and the cause of independence for many years, and I commend him for all that he achieved while serving in the SNP Government until 2021. 'Fergus had the option of standing at the forthcoming election for the SNP, given his status as an approved candidate. He chose not to accept that opportunity and I regret that he has ultimately decided instead to leave the party. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
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.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
GRAHAM GRANT: Swinney's discredited SNP has taken us for a ride - now he wants you to trust them to guide Scotland into the future!
John Swinney 's bizarre speech on national 'renewal' was a sick joke from a party responsible for nearly 20 years of failure and stagnation. That he could keep a straight face as he delivered it is remarkable - but then he has had plenty of practice when it comes to trotting out this kind of bilge.
