John Swinney refuses to say what happens to independence if SNP loses majority of seats

John Swinney has refused to say what will happen to Scottish independence if the SNP does not win a majority of seats at the general election.

The Nationalists have said that winning a majority of constituencies would give “democratic effect” to independence talks.

But the SNP leader would not say on BBC's Question Time that his party taking less than half of seats would mean that Scotland had rejected independence.

He was repeatedly asked but refused to properly address the question.

Opinion polls have suggested that the SNP could lose dozens of seats to Labour and end up in second place.

Presenter Fiona Bruce asked the First Minister if he would take a majority of non-SNP MPs as "a democratic decision that you shouldn't be pursuing independence".

He refused to address the question and said: "What I want to make sure is that the legitimate decisions of the people in Scotland in the election in 2021, when a Scottish Parliament was elected with a majority of members favouring independence and a referendum, that that can actually be respected by the United Kingdom."

When it was put to him that not winning a majority of seats would be the public giving him a "red light" over independence, he again refused to answer.

He said: "I want people in Scotland to confidently vote for the SNP to make sure we can turn that manifesto into a reality."

When pushed another time on what getting less than half of seats would mean, he refused to properly address the question.

Swinney said: "What I want to do during the election campaign is to encourage people to vote for the SNP to enable us to deliver on that policy commitment."

Bruce then asked him if he would finally answer the question.

Swinney replied: "What I'm saying is I want people to vote for the SNP..."

Bruce then cut him off and went to the next question.

Swinney was speaking in a general election special of BBC Question time. The programme also featured Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, Labour leader Keir Starmer and Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

He also admitted the SNP had had "a tough time" and had to "rebuild trust" with the Scottish people.

It comes after former chief executive and Nicola Sturgeon's husband was charged with embezzlement in relation to the party's finances.

Sturgeon and former treasurer Colin Beattie were also arrested and released without charge as part of the police probe.

Swinney said: "We've had a very tough time as a party in the last couple of years."

He continued: "It has been a turbulent time and I would be the first to accept that and to admit that.

"My party's asked me to lead it through this election campaign and beyond the 2026 parliamentary elections to essentially do two things.

"First of all, to rebuild trust between the electorate and the Scottish National Party.

"And secondly to provide the direction that's necessary in the Scottish Government to change people's lives."

Starmer appeared after Swinney on the programme.

He defended his support of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s 2019 manifesto, despite recently comparing it to Sunak’s offer.

An audience member asked the Labour leader: “You criticised the Tory manifesto as Jeremy Corbyn-like. Anything you want can go in it, nothing is costed. Why did you back his original manifesto in 2019?”

Starmer replied: “In 2019 I campaigned for the Labour Party as I’ve always campaigned for the Labour Party.”

He said that afterwards it became clear the electorate “thought it was too much and they wanted to see something which was fully costed and fully funded.”

Bruce then repeatedly challenged him over his one-time statement Corbyn would make a great prime minister but he refused to answer

Starmer said: “It wasn’t a question that really arose because I didn’t think we were going to win the election."

Bruce asked for a yes or no answer to whether he meant it. He did not give one and the audience laughed.

He then said Corbyn would have been a better prime minister than Boris Johnson.

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