John Swinney has told SNP members that “now is the time” for Scotland to become independent, using his keynote address to the party’s 91st annual conference to set out a vision of “hope, optimism and ambition” in contrast to what he called Westminster’s “decline, decay and despair.”
Speaking in front of delegates in Aberdeen yesterday, the First Minister said Scotland stood at a moment of decision and accused both Labour and the Conservatives of being “locked in a race to the right.”
“Westminster does not work for Scotland,” he said.
“But I’ll tell you what does: self‑government works for Scotland.
“An SNP Government works for Scotland.”
Mr Swinney urged activists to back a campaign focused on building support for independence through “reasoned, respectful and spirited discussion”, insisting democracy within the SNP was “alive and well.”
He announced plans for a network of walk‑in GP centres, open seven days a week from noon to 8 pm as part of a bid to improve access to healthcare and cut appointment waits.
The first fifteen centres will open within a year, he said, delivering more than a million additional consultations annually.
The First Minister also confirmed that the Scottish Government will sponsor skilled overseas care workers left unable to work after the UK Government closed visa routes earlier this year.
“Scotland’s older people must not pay the price for Westminster’s prejudice,” he said.
Mr Swinney used his speech to highlight what he called the “record of self‑government” since devolution, citing free university tuition, free prescriptions, expanded childcare, and the abolition of peak rail fares.
He said child poverty in Scotland had fallen to its lowest level in three decades.
Turning his fire on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he accused Labour of abandoning progressive ideals and breaking promises to voters.
“He stole Jeremy Corbyn’s clothes and now he’s dressing up as Nigel Farage,” Mr Swinney said, warning that the Westminster system was “broken beyond repair.”
The SNP leader said independence would allow Scotland to re‑join the European Union, harness its renewable energy wealth, and take a fairer approach to taxation and public investment.
“If countries like Denmark, Ireland and Finland can be wealthier and fairer than the UK,” he said, “then so can Scotland.”
Reflecting on his own journey in politics, Mr Swinney spoke of his upbringing, faith and family, and paid tribute to the late SNP minister Christina McKelvie, describing her as someone who “gave voice to the voiceless.”
Closing the speech, he urged members to carry that same spirit forward.
“We are building a nation defined by fairness, where the sense of possibility runs deep through every community.
“Together, let’s win Scotland’s independence.”
