John Swinney will call a vote on independence referendum powers on the first day of the next Scottish parliament, even if he fails to win an overall majority, his aides have confirmed. The SNP leader’s senior policy adviser told reporters that a minority government would still pursue the vote, saying: 'You continue to pursue your agenda to the maximum amount, as all governments do.'
The strategy document published by Swinney on Monday did not specify that a majority was needed, despite his previous insistence that an overall SNP majority was the 'clear and unambiguous' precondition for seeking those powers. When pressed by reporters, Swinney refused to say whether the vote would go ahead without a majority, but emphasised he would prefer one.
The first minister also declined to confirm whether he would launch a legal challenge to force the UK government to grant referendum powers if Holyrood backed the move. He described a majority as 'an incredibly strong foundational argument' but stopped short of ruling out court action. The Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that only Westminster can legislate for an independence referendum.
The proposal has drawn criticism from opposition parties. Russell Findlay, the Scottish Conservative leader, accused Swinney of being 'breathtakingly out of touch' and said the focus should be on the cost of living, jobs, education and the NHS.
