Scottish independence referendum possible if SNP wins majority, John Swinney says
The Scottish leader believed the party had to do "really well" in the the national vote for their to be another referendum, having not had a Holyrood majority since 2011
First Minister John Swinney has suggested Scotland may demand another another independence referendum if the SNP wins a majority in the May election.
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The Scottish leader believed the party had to do "really well" in the the national vote for their to be another referendum, having not had a Holyrood majority since 2011.
Mr Swinney said: "I'm being straightforward with people in Scotland that if people in Scotland want Scotland to become independent, the SNP has got to do really well in this forthcoming election.
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"It's got to achieve a majority in the Scottish parliament because when that happened before in 2011, it led to a referendum in 2014 and the Scots were able to determine their own constitution."
The first independence referendum in 2014 saw more than two million Scots (55.3 per cent) voted to remain a part of the UK, while 1.6 million (44.7%) voted to leave.
Following the defeat, then first minister Alex Salmond stepped down and was replaced by Nicola Sturgeon.
Asked about the possibility of UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer turning down the referendum request, Mr Swinney said: "I think there's two things about that.
"First of all, the United Kingdom is allegedly a partnership of equals, so Scotland has got a democratic right to decide our own future.
"And secondly, if I win a majority in the Scottish parliament elections in May of this year, I don't think Keir Starmer will be the prime minister."
The SNP is currently the largest party in the Scottish parliament, with 60 MSPs out of 129.
Dissatisfaction with the result of the first referendum has led to continuous calls from campaigners, such as Ms Sturgeon, for a second vote.
The then SNP leader had proposed plans to hold a second referendum - known as indyref2 - on October 19, 2023.
However, her plans were thwarted by the UK Supreme Court, which ruled in 2022 that the Scottish government cannot legislate a second independence referendum without Westminster approval.