John Swinney Promises Scottish Independence Referendum Will Happen Soon
John Swinney insists that Scotland will soon hold a referendum on independence, despite previous claims to the contrary
Scotland, John Swinney, Independence, Brexit, SNP
Edinburgh: So, John Swinney recently had a chat with the Scottish Sun about Scotland’s independence. When asked about the next vote, he simply said, “Soon.” Pretty straightforward, right?
But the political editor, Conor Matchett, wasn’t letting him off that easy. He hit the “big red buzzer of waffle” to press for more details. Swinney stuck to his guns, repeating that it would happen soon.
This comes after he disagreed with Nicola Sturgeon, who had said that a second independence referendum was “off the radar.” Swinney believes the economic situation in the UK is shaky, mainly due to Brexit, and that independence could be the solution.
He argued that becoming independent and rejoining the EU would open up new economic opportunities for Scotland. Plus, he mentioned that it would allow for a better approach to migration, which he feels is currently mishandled by the UK Government.
Interestingly, he also suggested that Scotland should have a deal similar to Northern Ireland’s regarding constitutional changes. He pointed out that there’s a clear process for a border poll in Northern Ireland, but nothing like that exists for Scotland, which he thinks is unfair.
In his view, Scotland’s path to independence would mirror the journey to devolution. He believes that the referendum that created the Scottish Parliament was a clear reflection of what the people wanted.