John Swinney dumps Nicola Sturgeon's referendum strategy as he raises bar for IndyRef2

John Swinney has raised the bar for triggering IndyRef2 by burying Nicola Sturgeon’s policy of relying on winning Holyrood elections.

The First Minister said there had to be “compelling” support for independence, with a senior insider saying significant opinion poll leads were also needed for a referendum.

Sturgeon’s strategy as leader was to use election wins as leverage to demand an agreement with Westminster on a second referendum.

But the UK Government refused to play ball and Sturgeon quit last year amid growing unhappiness at her tactics.

In a speech to mark the ten year anniversary of the 2014 anniversary, Swinney pointedly focused on building support for independence instead of linking a referendum to the next Holyrood election.

He said the SNP’s job is to “reach out” beyond voters already convinced by independence and talk to those who are sceptical.

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The First Minister said: “We will never be able to win independence unless there is compelling and demonstrable evidence of the support in place for independence.”

An insider refused to put a figure on the level of public support needed for a referendum, but likened the trigger for indyref2 to support for devolution in the 1990s.

Support for creating a devolved Scottish parliament back then was over 60pc.

A second source said an election win, coupled with sustained and high public support, would be a compelling basis for indyref2.

Speaking about her time as FM, Sturgeon conceded her strategy on pursuing indyref2 had failed:

“I came up against a brick wall of Westminster democracy denial in refusing the right of the Scottish people to choose their own future,” she said. “

"Do I wish I had found a way around that? Yes, but that was the situation I faced. Had that right to choose been secured, I believe Scotland would have voted yes.”

Swinney also claimed that the SNP Government’s use of new powers devolved in the wake of the 2014 vote, helped the independence case.

SNP Ministers used income tax and welfare powers to increase rates for the wealthy and introduce a Scottish Child Payment for low income families:

“People can see as a consequence of the pressure to get more powers here in Scotland we have added to the achievements and the strengths we have already put in place.

“People can see the positive impact of decisions being taken here in Scotland.”

He added: “I think we are closer to achieving that than we were in 2014.”

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