(Edinburgh) Scottish independence Prime Minister John Swinney on Wednesday called on voters to vote for his party during the British legislative elections in order to “increase the pressure” on London with a view to obtaining a new self-determination referendum and relaunching a fight in the impasse.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) has dominated local politics for around fifteen years. But he has racked up setbacks in recent months and polls suggest he is set to lose seats in the Westminster parliament to Labor led by Keir Starmer, favorite in the UK-wide July 4 poll.
“The best way to achieve independence is through a democratic referendum, but the obstacle to this is the intransigence of the United Kingdom government,” declared John Swinney, unveiling the program of his party to Edinburgh.
These elections therefore constitute an opportunity to intensify the pressure to obtain independence for Scotland, by voting SNP to achieve a majority of seats at Westminster.
John Swinney, Scottish independence Prime Minister
He promised to launch “negotiations” with London if his party retained the majority of MP seats representing Scotland.
This objective is far from being achieved. The SNP, positioned on the left, currently controls 43 of the 59 constituencies in Scotland, compared to only two for Labor (centre left) and seven for the Conservatives. Deputies are elected by a simple majority in one round.
The polls now show it ahead of Labor, dominant until 2010. The latest seat projection from the Ipsos institute grants only 15 seats to the SNP while highlighting the small difference in votes with Labor.
The party has been weakened by the resignation last year of the charismatic Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon, an investigation into its funding and its failure to force London to accept a new independence referendum.
PHOTO RUSSELL CHEYNE, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Nicola Sturgeon
The last vote, in 2014, was won by 55%, but separatists argue that Brexit in 2016, against which the majority of Scots were opposed, changed the situation.
Labor is firmly opposed to Scottish independence, like the Tories who have been in power for 14 years in the United Kingdom.
In addition to this issue, the SNP criticizes the party well placed to form the next government for a centrist position on economic issues.
“Labor will continue what the Tories started in terms of public spending cuts and the result will be disastrous for Scotland,” argued John Swinney.