THE First Minister has called for independence supporters to “get out there” and build on the optimism and hope a decade on from the 2014 referendum vote by “winning the argument”.
Speaking at an event in Edinburgh marking the 10th anniversary of the Scottish independence referendum, John Swinney said his party had to recapture that “sense of hope, of optimism and of possibility that was so prevalent 10 years ago”.
The First Minister spoke at length about the constitutional changes the referendum brought to Scotland by gaining powers over income tax and welfare spending.
He said as a consequence “we have made a difference in the lives of people in Scotland”.
Swinney highlighted these changes have helped garner support in young people for the Scottish independence movement and that as a nation we need to be “bold” and “ambitious” in securing our own future.
The First Minister (below) expressed his optimism for the future of the independence movement as he previously highlighted that 600,000 young Scots who were not eligible to vote in 2014 would back an independent Scotland now – with that number rising to 1 million by 2030.
When asked by The National if he believed that holding a referendum, which he previously stated should be held in the next five years, could be too soon giving the rising support by younger generations he said: “I think what we've got to do is, we've got to get on with winning that argument.
“Start to make sure that we reach people in Scotland.
“I think all the evidence is there and that young people are much more emphatic in their support for independence than other age groups.”
He added: “I think that demonstrates the focus on hope, on optimism on the possibility of Scotland, and as a consequence of that, we have to provide the means and the opportunity for that argument to prevail.
“I think we've got to get out there after that.
“We've got to engage positively with people in Scotland, persuade them, build confidence in the arguments for independence and make sure that we have the means to deliver independence and that's what will be the heart of the SNP campaign.”
Swinney said previously in his speech that the “challenge” for independence supporters is to convince more Scots that their priorities could be better addressed outside of the UK.
Speaking optimistically at the event he said that Scotland is closer to achieving independence now than back in 2014.
He stressed that Scotland “could be taking better decisions than Westminster” and that the SNP’s job is to “make independence relevant to the everyday concerns of every citizen in Scotland”.
