The SNP’s candidate for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch has said independence offers Scotland a brighter future as the party formally launched its 2026 election campaign in Glasgow.
The campaign launch event featured an address by First Minister John Swinney, who framed the coming year as a moment of opportunity as well as political choice.
Pointing to Scotland’s qualification for the men’s FIFA World Cup and the Commonwealth Games being hosted in Glasgow, the First Minister said 2026 should be about more than sport.
“I want 2026 to be a year not just of sporting success, I want it to be a year of opportunity for everyone in Scotland.”
Mr Swinney warned that UK politics was moving further to the right following what he described as bad decisions such as Brexit.
He also cautioned against political figures seeking power by exploiting fear and insecurity.
“That’s why the vote on the 7th of May is so important.”
“In this election, we will offer a vision for a very different future for Scotland.
“The Scotland we believe in is a modern, progressive, socially democratic Scotland at the heart of Europe.
“A country built on the values we share.”
Speaking after the event, SNP candidate Eilidh Munro said the election would be pivotal in determining Scotland’s long term direction.
“This year will be hugely important in deciding what kind of future we want Scotland to have.
“Westminster is widely expected to lurch to the right at the next election, and a Farage administration would have alarming consequences for Scotland.”
She said voters were being offered a clear alternative.
“If the Scottish people don’t want to endure years of Faragist politics in Number Ten, after a Labour Government that is failing to deliver today, they can choose a different path.
“A vote for the SNP is a vote for Scotland to choose her own future.”
“As the First Minister has stressed, countries like Norway show the economic potential of small, independent nations.
“Norway used its energy wealth to build a fairer, more prosperous nation.
“Scotland can too, but only if we vote for it.
“With independence we can cut household electricity bills by over a third, enshrine communities with the right to own up to 20 percent of onshore wind projects, and create energy savings for businesses of at least one third.”
Ms Munro pointed to progress already made in Scotland while arguing more could be done.
“We’ve achieved so much already, child poverty in Scotland is falling, unemployment is much lower than the UK average, and our renewables industry is growing fast.
“But there is much more to do to improve people’s lives.
“If I’m elected to the Scottish Parliament in May, I’ll fight for improvements in rural healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
“And I’ll pursue a kinder, fairer, more prosperous Scotland, rejecting the politics of division and fear.”
