JOHN Swinney has been told it is time he “got with the plan” after it was claimed he had not raised independence as a “priority” with the Prime Minister.
Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that the First Minister had not made urgent appeals about the constitutional question when the pair had spoken.
Asked about his discussions with Swinney on independence, the Prime Minister told the BBC: “Nobody's raising that with me as their first priority, certainly in the discussions I'm having with the First Minister. We’re talking about jobs, energy, security and dealing with the cost of living crisis.”
Kenny MacAskill (below), the leader of the Alba Party, said Swinney’s “first priority” must be independence.
He told The National: “All of the issues that Sir Keir Starmer outlines are the very things people care most about. However, they can only be resolved with independence.
“We are going to witness hundreds of jobs being lost on a weekly basis in the oil and gas industry. We have seen the closure of our only oil refinery at Grangemouth, and we have seen precious little in the way of renewable jobs coming our way.
“Energy prices are still sky-high, despite Scotland being a net exporter of energy.
“All of this is because we do not have the full powers of independence. That is why it is our first priority – and why it should be the first priority for the First Minister too.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Starmer (below) ruled out a second independence referendum during his premiership.
MacAskill said this made it “clear that independence can only be delivered via an election”, saying the next Scottish Parliament election should be used as a “de facto referendum”.
He added: “If the pro-independence parties unite, we can make Holyrood 2026 Scotland’s independence election. No more cap in hand or ‘Please, Sir Keir, can we have a referendum?’
“A majority of votes cast on the list for pro-independence parties must be the mandate for independence. A vote for Alba on the list can help deliver that mandate and deliver a supermajority for independence.
“It’s time John Swinney got with the plan to transform our land – and not simply seek to mitigate the worst of UK Government policy.”
The SNP were approached for comment.
