John Swinney: I agree with Nicola Sturgeon that independent Scotland and united Ireland will happen

John Swinney has backed Nicola Sturgeon’s prediction that Scottish independence and Irish unification will happen amid a wider shake-up in the UK.

Scotland’s First Minister told activists in Edinburgh that he agreed with the former SNP leader’s assessment of the future of Britain.

During his speech on the tenth anniversary of the independence referendum, he said Scotland was “truly buzzing” in 2014.

He called for the Yes movement to “reawaken” the positivity and hopelessness of the constitutional campaign.

Scotland voted 55% to 45% to stay in the UK on September 18, 2024.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Independence offers Scotland a better future, with the powers needed to fully tackle and address the everyday concerns of the people of Scotland.

📢 To make our public services the best they can be and give the next generation the best possible start in life. pic.twitter.com/2R1OwkTpui
— The SNP (@theSNP) September 18, 2024

In the run-up to the anniversary, Sturgeon – who took over from Alex Salmond as SNP leader and first minister shortly after the plebiscite – predicted a united Ireland alongside an independent Scotland.

“I believe that, perhaps as part of a wider shake-up of UK governance, the reunification of Ireland, perhaps, more autonomy in Wales, that I think we will see Scotland become an independent country,” she told the BBC.

“I’ll certainly campaign and advocate for that for as long as I’ve got breath in my body.”

Asked if he believed with his former boss’s prediction, Swinney said: “Do I think they’ll both happen?

Scotland

Scotland’s independence referendum ten years on

Emotions were running high in the run-up to the 2014 independence vote as Scotland’s future dominated the international news agenda.

“Yes, I do. So I agree with that point very much.

“I think the tide and the pattern of those debates is moving decisively and emphatically in that direction.”

The SNP leader was quizzed by journalists after delivering a speech to independence activists in Edinburgh.

Swinney told the crowd the independence campaign was a “truly special” time for Scotland and set an example to the rest of the world on peaceful and democratic debate.

He spoke of feeling “devastated” and “truly hurt” after realising his side had lost the vote.

But he said he was in “no doubt” that the campaign had ultimately left a positive legacy for Scotland.

The First Minister urged supporters of independence “must look to the future”.

📢 Today marks 10 years since the Independence Referendum.

🙌 The referendum captured the imagination of the entire country, and Scotland was bursting with hope and optimism.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Let’s commit to rediscovering that spirit and taking our positive vision to every part of Scotland. pic.twitter.com/GnzHJVoqMq
— Yes (@YesScot) September 18, 2024

Scotland has endured a “long, dark decade” of “austerity, of Brexit, of a cost-of-living crisis and a global pandemic”, he said, as he urged Scots to focus on what can be done.

“As a nation, we can’t just regret the things that we cannot do – it is time for us to start focusing again on the things that we can,” he said.

“And that is exactly what we are going to do.

“We want the people of Scotland to be bold and ambitious about our country’s future – and we must lead by example.”