This is a chance for the SNP to catch a new wind for indy
Swinney is best placed to unite the cause
FIRSTLY, I want to thank Humza Yousaf for his service to our country and for always putting the people of Scotland first. As First Minister, he prioritised ground-breaking policies such as the Scottish Child Payment, which has helped so many families in Scotland against Westminster austerity.
As the first Muslim leader of a European country, he bolstered Scotland’s standing in the international community by publicly and consistently calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. As leader of the SNP, the effort he made to work closely with the grassroots of our movement must also be commended. I wish him and his family all the best going forward.
As the SNP now look for a new leader, I am glad John Swinney has decided to throw his hat into the ring. He has dedicated his entire life to serving the public and the cause for independence.
In his years of experience, he has weathered many a difficult storm and after more than a year of challenging headlines for the SNP, to say the least, I can think of no-one better placed to navigate the party through it. For him to volunteer to lead the SNP, Scottish Government, Yes movement, and Scotland, at such a time serves as a testament to him as a person and as a leader.
John highlighted in his speech on Thursday that he wants to build a modern, diverse and dynamic Scotland. This will only be possible if we focus our efforts wisely.
The upcoming General Election is going to be the toughest election the SNP have fought in a very long time. There is absolutely no doubt that the first step to electoral success within a party is unity.
Without it there is no chance of progressing the case for independence. Anyone can see that the SNP need internal reform, and John Swinney has committed to do so.
The direction of the SNP must now be laser-focused on the cost of living crisis. It overwhelmingly remains the main issue impacting families across the country in some way or another.
Energy prices, food prices, and housing costs are completely unrealistic for far too many people, both in and out of work. For as long as the main economic and social levers remain at Westminster, Scotland is better served when SNP MPs are elected to Westminster. The UK Government has the powers to solve many of these problems, yet no answers are coming from either the Conservatives or Labour.
After years of cuts coming from the UK Government to the Scottish budget, our public services are far from perfect, but statistics show that under the SNP Scotland’s services are in a better state than in Tory-run England or in Labour-run Wales.
It is why our opponents are always careful to avoid direct comparisons between the other nations in this Union.
If done correctly, and with the hard work of activists all over the country, I believe this is a chance for a new wind to catch the sails of the SNP and John Swinney is the one to take us closer to our inevitable destination of an independent Scotland.