SWINNEY: TIME FOR REAWAKENING OF OPTIMISM AND HOPE TO SECURE INDEPENDENCE
SNP LEADER: “REFERENDUM HAS LEFT POSITIVE LEGACY ON SCOTLAND”
Addressing independence campaigners in Edinburgh this morning (18th September) on the 10-year anniversary of the 2014 referendum, First Minister and SNP Leader John Swinney is expected to say:
“For all of us who worked so hard for a Yes vote, the excitement of the campaign turned to heartbreak as the declarations started pouring in.
“As parliament returned I spoke to many leading figures in the No campaign.
“They were gracious, and they were understanding, that lifelong independence campaigners like me were truly hurting at that moment.
“But when I think about those days after of the referendum, I tell you what else I remember.
“It was how quickly people in the Yes campaign picked themselves up, dusted themselves down, and looked to the future with a renewed determination.
“Many of the grassroots campaign groups didn’t melt away. They stuck together, and they continued working in - and for - their communities.
“New friendships had been forged, and a new sense of possibility planted in the minds of thousands of people.
“That sense of empowerment resonates to this day.
“And that’s why, even though I was devastated by the result, I am in no doubt that Scotland’s independence referendum has left an overwhelmingly positive legacy on our country.
“And we – the Scottish National Party – should be incredibly proud that, together, we made that happen.
He will add:
“We have had a long, dark decade – a decade of austerity, of Brexit, of a cost of living crisis and a global pandemic.
“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. And that is exactly what we are going to do.
“It starts by reawakening the sense of optimism, of hope and of possibility that was so prevalent throughout Scotland in 2014.
“We must lead by example, and we will.”
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NewsTranscript
00:00Friends, thank you all for joining me here in Edinburgh today.
00:03We're here to reflect on a moment of tremendous significance in Scotland's recent past.
00:09But more importantly, we're here to demonstrate our commitment to Scotland's future.
00:15Ten years ago, at this very moment, most of us can probably remember exactly what we were doing.
00:21On the 18th of September, 2014, Scotland was truly buzzing.
00:27Thousands of people around the country were manning polling stations,
00:30street stalls and telephones.
00:32Hundreds of campaign groups, large and small, were making a last push for support.
00:37Journalists and broadcasters from every corner of the globe had descended on Scotland.
00:43The world was watching us, waiting to see
00:46if they were about to witness the birth of the world's newest independent country.
00:52But of course, no matter the outcome,
00:54we all knew that we were witnessing something hugely significant.
00:59That's because in this corner of our planet,
01:02a debate about constitutional change was being conducted peacefully and democratically,
01:08with both sides committed to respecting the result.
01:12In a world all too often scarred by acrimony and conflict,
01:16we must not lose sight of the positive example Scotland set for people across the globe.
01:23The referendum was, of course, the climax of a landmark year for Scotland.
01:28The Equal Marriage Act, the Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup, the Year of Homecoming.
01:33In 2014, the sense of change, of possibility and of optimism in the air
01:39was so strong that you could almost taste it.
01:42We were celebrating the best of what Scotland can offer.
01:46And as we did so, we were having a very, very lively debate about our future.
01:53Now, the referendum was, of course, only made possible because of an SNP election victory.
01:59But what made the campaign truly special was the energy, the passion and the commitment
02:05of the tens of thousands of ordinary Scots that got involved.
02:09The overwhelming majority on both sides did so positively and respectfully,
02:14with a genuine desire to improve our country.
02:18As Colinday approached, you could barely walk 10 yards without spotting a window poster,
02:24or stumbling across a street stall or a campaign rally,
02:28or eavesdropping on the folk at the bus stop or in the queue at the post office
02:32having an in-depth philosophical discussion about economic or defence policy.
02:36There were poems, there were stories, there were songs, there were short films,
02:40there were long conversations.
02:41There were packed debates in the smallest village halls and the largest TV studios.
02:47People were engaged about the future of our country.
02:51And friends, that's exactly how politics should be.
02:56That is what an empowered nation looks like.
03:00I remember well how I spent Colinday.
03:03It was a frantic dash from door to door to ensure that everyone that we needed to vote
03:07was going out to do so.
03:09But that frantic effort, so much the hallmark of Colinday through the ages,
03:14didn't really feel necessarily that good.
03:17People were coming out to vote in their droves.
03:20The turnout across Scotland spoke for itself.
03:2385% of eligible voters took part.
03:28No other vote in recent memory has come close to matching that.
03:32For all of us who worked so hard for a yes vote,
03:36the excitement of the campaign turned to heartbreak as the declarations started pouring in.
03:42I remember seeing the boxes being opened in Perth,
03:45and knowing quite quickly that we were not going to win at that count.
03:49But as the night wore on, it became clear that we were not going to make it across Scotland.
03:54I remember travelling to Edinburgh in the dead of night,
03:57and not a word was shared in the car for the whole journey to Edinburgh.
04:02As dawn broke, I was back in front of the cameras talking about Scotland's future.
04:08As Parliament returned, I spoke to many of the figures in the No campaign.
04:13They were gracious, and they were understanding
04:15that lifelong independence campaigners like me were truly hurting at that moment.
04:21If the result had gone the other way,
04:23I know I would have shown the same courtesy that they extended to me.
04:28But when I think about those days after the referendum, I tell you what else I remember.
04:33It was how quickly people in the Yes campaign picked themselves up,
04:37dusted themselves down, and looked to the future with renewed determination.
04:43Many of the grassroots campaign groups didn't melt away.
04:46They stuck together, and they continued working in and for their communities.
04:51New friendships had been forged,
04:52and a new sense of possibility planted in the minds of thousands of people.
04:57That sense of empowerment resonates to this day.
05:01And that's why, even though I was devastated by the result,
05:06I am in no doubt that Scotland's independence referendum
05:10has left an overwhelmingly positive legacy on our country.
05:14And we, the Scottish National Party, should be incredibly proud that together,
05:19we made that happen.
05:22Friends, 10 years ago, 10 years on, where stands Scotland today?
05:27After the referendum, new powers came to our Parliament, and new institutions.
05:33Institutions that are needed in an independent country were created.
05:38What does that mean?
05:39It means that we have a new Parliament,
05:41and we have a new Government.
05:43And we have a new Government.
05:45And we have a new Government.
05:47in an independent country were created.
05:50What does that mean?
05:52It means a Scottish child payment,
05:54helping to keep 100,000 children in Scotland out of poverty.
05:58It means a social security system with fairness and compassion at its heart,
06:04a world away from the DWP's often shameful assessment processes.
06:09It means a more progressive income tax system,
06:13unlocking £1.5 billion of extra investment
06:17in public services like our National Health Service.
06:20It means a Scottish National Investment Bank unlocking Scotland's net zero future.
06:26ScotRail taken into public hands.
06:2816 and 17-year-olds now have the right to vote in Scottish elections.
06:33These are all the positive legacies of Scotland's independence referendum.
06:44Friends, what is the lesson here?
06:52I'll tell you what the lesson is.
06:54Constitutional change delivers real change in our country.
06:59That's the lesson of 2014.
07:02That's Scotland's legacy in the last 10 years.
07:05We have delivered change for people in Scotland
07:08because this country demanded more power and more responsibility
07:13for the people of our country.
07:15And what's Westminster's?
07:17Well, we were promised that voting no would mean we stay in the European Union.
07:23Instead, we were forced to be an unwilling passenger on Boris's Brexit bus.
07:30We were promised that voting no would mean a partnership of equals.
07:35But instead, our Parliament has had its powers weakened and undermined.
07:41We were promised that voting no would mean economic strength and stability.
07:47Well, where on earth did I start with that one?
07:51We may laugh, but it's no laughing matter.
07:54Because our mortgages, our food prices, our energy bills,
07:59three specific costs that it was suggested would rise with independence
08:04are all now more expensive as a result of Westminster decisions.
08:09The contrast over the last 10 years could not be clearer.
08:14Decisions in Scotland making Scotland fairer.
08:18Decisions taken at Westminster holding Scotland back.
08:22And that is why Scotland must become an independent country.
08:34So friends, much as we were all invigorated by the 2014 campaign,
08:45we cannot live in the past.
08:48Today, we must look to the future.
08:50We've had a long dark decade.
08:52A decade of austerity, of Brexit, of a cost of living crisis and a global pandemic.
08:59As a nation, we can't just regret the things that we cannot do.
09:03It's time for us to start focusing again on the things that we can.
09:08And that is exactly what we are going to do.
09:12We want the people of Scotland to be bold and ambitious
09:16about our country's future and we must leap by example.
09:20Yesterday, we announced the Scottish Government's support
09:23for Glasgow to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026.
09:28As you might expect, I made sure we looked at this proposal closely.
09:33Money's tight.
09:34Like all big projects, there are risks.
09:37It will not be on the same scale as 2014 and we don't have nearly as long to prepare.
09:43But friends, let's remember why Glasgow has been asked to step in
09:47and rescue the Commonwealth Games.
09:50Scotland has a fantastic reputation for hosting international events
09:55and in Glasgow, we have a truly world-class city to do so.
10:01That is what others around the world see when they look to our shores.
10:07So my friends, perhaps it is time for us to see ourselves as others see us.
10:14Friends, as we look towards 2026 and beyond, let us set our sights on the progressive,
10:33compassionate and ambitious country that we all want to see.
10:37A Scotland of free education, where ability matters more than money.
10:42A Scotland powered by our own renewable green energy,
10:45where communities benefit from their own natural resources.
10:49A Scotland free of child poverty.
10:52A Scotland of bairns, not barns, where trident is consigned to the dustbin of history.
10:59To make that a reality, we will build on the game-changing investors,
11:11like the Scottish child payment that we are delivering right now.
11:14And we will make the case for all welfare decisions to be made here in Scotland.
11:20And make no mistake, we will use those powers.
11:24If Keir Starmer and Labour won't abolish the two-child car, give us the powers and the SNP will.
11:45Scotland faces real choices as we face the future.
11:49The SNP will build on our record of free education for all.
11:52In contrast, Labour have introduced tuition fees everywhere else in the UK.
11:57Does anyone seriously believe that they won't do exactly the same
12:01if they get the chance here in Scotland?
12:04For 10 years, 10 long years, Labour told us we didn't need independence.
12:10All we need to do is get rid of the Tories.
12:13Well, it's taken Keir Starmer less than 10 weeks to completely demolish that argument.
12:19Labour promised no more austerity, but instead they are going to intensify it.
12:24Labour promised to protect pensioners, but instead they robbed them of their winter fuel payment.
12:31And they promised everyone they would cut their energy bills.
12:34Instead, they are set to rise by an average of £150.
12:40The problem for Scotland is not just an incredibly damaging Westminster Tory government.
12:45We now have an incredibly damaging Westminster Labour government.
12:51And there is a pattern here.
12:53The problem for Scotland is government from Westminster.
13:11The SNP's job is to get almost everything out the better alternative.
13:15People in Scotland want to be empowered and inspired, and it is up to us to do that.
13:20During 2014, the S vote soared because people were out there talking to each other
13:26about what our future could look like.
13:28Today, in 2024, we must reawaken that sense of hope, of optimism and of possibility
13:35that was so prevalent 10 years ago.
13:37It is time for us to talk to each other again.
13:42And when I say each other, I mean to talk to everyone in Scotland.
13:47We have a duty to lift heads and to look towards the horizon and a better Scotland.
13:53All around us, there are independent countries, just like Scotland,
13:57who are more successful than the UK.
13:59Ireland, talking about extending their winter fuel payment, not cutting it.
14:05Iceland, one of the lowest poverty rates in the developed world.
14:09Norway, providing parents with far more generous parental leave than in the UK.
14:14I could go on and on.
14:17We must stop asking why it is that countries around us are all so successful,
14:23and instead ask a simple question.
14:25Why not decide for ourselves on the kind of country we want to live in?
14:31Why suffer the insult and the injury of Brexit?
14:35Instead, we could be sitting at the top table in Brussels as an independent nation.
14:41Why suffer the economic damage of a hostile immigration policy?
14:46Instead, we can welcome the people that we need to grow our economy,
14:50to sustain our public services and to enrich our society.
14:55Why suffer the damage of living under a failed Westminster economic model?
15:00Instead, we can build a new economy with solidarity and sustainability at its heart.
15:07Why suffer fuel poverty in a land of fuel plenty?
15:12Instead, we can harness the abundance of energy all around us to deliver a cleaner future
15:19and a green industrial revolution for absolutely everyone living here in Scotland.
15:30When you think about each of these decisions,
15:40you're left in no doubt that we here in Scotland could be taking better decisions than Westminster.
15:46Our job is to make independence relevant to the everyday concerns of every citizen in Scotland.
15:54But the powers of independence can help us grow our economy in a way that works for everyone.
16:00To make our public services the best they can be and give the next generation
16:04the best possible start in life.
16:07That is the future I want for our country.
16:10I committed to demonstrating that independence is the solution to the immediate concerns of
16:16people in Scotland on the NHS, schools, the cost of living, on energy prices.
16:22That's the way SNP campaigning will persuade more people in Scotland
16:26of the merits of independence.
16:28That is how we will win Scotland's independence.
16:33Friends, when we leave here today, let us do so remembering what brought us all together
16:38in the first place.
16:40It was that sense of empowerment and excitement about our future.
16:45On September 18, 2014, we glimpsed what it was like to hold our destiny in our hands.
16:53Countries that are independent have that opportunity every single day.
16:57Every single day is a day of possibility.
17:02So 10 years on from the referendum, let us today make a promise to ourselves.
17:08If I may, let us make a vow.
17:13A vow that whatever else happens, we will face the future together with hope and optimism.
17:21Let us talk ourselves up and never allow ourselves to be talked down.
17:26Let us pass on that sense of hope to our fellow Scots through the hands of solidarity and
17:32friendship.
17:34Let us inspire them with a vision of what is possible.
17:38Let us build up the confidence and the belief of our nation and let us invite them to join
17:43us on the journey to a better future.
17:45A future which is ours to decide and a success for Scotland which is ours to share.