UK Government ‘accepts reality’ of an Indyref2

The UK Government is “accepting the reality” that there will have to be a second referendum on independence, John Swinney has said.

Responding to a comment from Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove, he said the voting franchise should remain the same as the 2014 referendum.

Mr Gove had tweeted that giving a vote to Scots who live elsewhere in the UK was an “interesting question”.

The Times newspaper also reported yesterday that the UK Government minister had met privately with figures from other parties to discuss support for the Union.

Mr Swinney was asked about both these points on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme.

He said: “This move and this talk is essentially an indication of an acceptance of the reality that we’re now facing.

“That support for Scottish independence is demonstrating itself at a strong, consistent Yes position and majority support for Yes which is now emerging in a number of polls.

“So I think what we’re now seeing is the UK Government accepting that there will have to be a referendum on independence, and that’s a welcome position for them to take and it’s a democratic position for them to take.”

He continued: “We had a referendum in 2014 in which people took the view that this was a well-organised referendum, with the correct franchise in which the people who are eligible to vote here in Scotland were able to do so.

“And I think that served us well, there was international commendation for the strength and the quality of the process we put in place in 2014.

Mr Swinney also discussed the Covid-19 outbreak cluster at the 2 Sisters food processing plant in Coupar Angus.

On Thursday, anyone who lives with a factory worker at the plant was told they must selfisolate until August 31.

He said: “That’s important to help us to break the chains of transmission of the virus that potentially exist among the workforce.”