The Scottish Parliament has voted in favour of a motion calling on Westminster to grant Holyrood the powers necessary to hold a second independence referendum. The vote, which took place on Tuesday, saw 72 MSPs back the motion while 55 opposed it.
John Swinney to Press Prime Minister
First Minister John Swinney, who is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in June, stated that the talks would be "an opportunity for me to progress the will of Parliament." He emphasised that the Scottish Parliament had "clearly expressed its view that Scotland should have the powers to arrange an orderly referendum on independence."
Swinney added: "With the mandate of Parliament, I will now take that forward to dialogue with the UK Government to make sure that Parliament's wishes, which, of course, are the wishes of the people, are properly put into effect."
Westminster's Response
Downing Street swiftly rejected the call, with a spokesperson stating: "The UK Government does not support independence or another referendum." The spokesperson argued that people want governments focused on "economic growth, the cost of living, and public services" and that "our focus must be on delivery, not division." They noted that ahead of the 2014 referendum there was cross-party consensus, but "there is no such consensus now."
Swinney's Vision for Independence
During the debate, Swinney told MSPs that Scots would "resoundingly" back the "golden opportunity" of independence, citing control over energy and the ability to rejoin the European Union. He acknowledged that "Westminster currently says no" but described the debate as "the start of a process" leading to another referendum where Scots would vote "yes to independence."
Opposition Criticism
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar criticised the debate as a "missed opportunity" to discuss vital issues, accusing the First Minister of an "obsession" with independence. Scottish Conservatives leader Russell Findlay highlighted the irony of debating independence a day after former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell admitted embezzling SNP funds, questioning the SNP's trustworthiness to manage Scotland's finances.
