A NEW generation of Scots “must have their say” on Scotland's future, the SNP have said ahead of next year's Holyrood election.
The party’s call for a “long overdue” vote on Scottish independence comes after [[SNP]] leader John Swinney unveiled plans to immediately establish a constitutional convention to “marshal support” for the cause.
The [[SNP]] leader will ask party members to support the move in a motion put forward at the upcoming conference in Aberdeen in October.
Swinney has also urged voters to deliver an SNP majority in Holyrood in a bid to secure a second independence referendum, as he argued that the only time a referendum had been secured was after the SNP’s historic majority win in 2011, when the party returned 69 MSPs.
SNP MSP Mairi McAllan said that a new generation of Scots should be allowed to have their say on Scotland's future, as she said that at the next parliamentary term, there will be one million more people eligible to vote than in 2014.
McAllan, MSP for Clydesdale and Cabinet Secretary for Housing, said she remembers her optimism in the lead up to the referendum in 2014.
She said: “Independence is the fresh start that Scotland needs. It is the only change that will work for Scotland – and key to delivering a better future.
“The 2014 independence referendum was an energised and hopeful campaign with young people at its heart.”
In April, polling by YouGov estimated 59% of 16 to 24-year-olds would vote Yes in the event of a referendum.
McAllan argued that the reason why Scottish independence is so popular amongst young people is that they know a better future is possible.
“I remember how empowered and optimistic I felt – something that is sadly a rarity for Scotland’s next generation,” she said.
"Our young people have borne the brunt of Covid, Brexit and a Westminster cost of living crisis that have made costs grow higher, opportunities made fewer and challenges greater.
“There’s a reason that independence sees such strong support among younger people – they know that a better future is possible and they want their voices to be heard.
“Westminster governments have always ignored Scotland – our young people most of all, but by 2030 one million Scots who did not have their say in 2014 will be eligible to vote.
“A generation has now passed, and it’s time Scotland’s young people are able to determine their own future. Only a vote for the SNP in 2026 will make that possible.”
McAllan's calls come after it was revealed last month that support for [[Scottish independence]] would rise even further if Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage, were to become the next prime minister
A Norstat survey for The Sunday Times in June suggested that the rise of Reform UK and the failings of the Labour Government have helped to increase support for Scottish independence, which sits at 54%.
The poll also showed that if Farage were to enter Downing Street and become prime minister, support for Scottish independence would be at 58%.
The data suggested that with Farage leading the UK, it would leave independence campaigners within touching distance of 60% support, which many believe would represent a tipping point, making a refusal to grant a second independence referendum unsustainable.
