>Scottish First Minister John Swinney on Monday positioned independence as an escape route for Scotland from a UK “broken beyond repair.”
>In his closing speech to the [Scottish National party](https://www.ft.com/stream/3c49c2af-784f-4311-9b46-f36a0c039836) conference in Aberdeen, Swinney accused Sir Keir Starmer of being a “rightwing prime minister”, who had “stolen” (former Labour leader) Jeremy Corbyn’s clothes and was now “dressing up” as Nigel Farage, the leader of the populist Reform UK.
>“Labour and Tories are locked in a race to the right,” he said. “A race that will only be won by Nigel Farage.”
>Scottish “revulsion” at the policies of former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher helped forge the creation of a Scottish parliament, he said. “Today I believe it will be revulsion at Westminster’s race to the right that will change Scotland’s status again.”
>In response to the UK’s decision to close the social care visa route in July, he announced plans for the Scottish government to assist “thousands” of overseas care professionals who had been left stranded in the UK after their employers lost their visa sponsorship licences.
>The Scottish government plans to provide £500,000 to help such care workers, who have lost their jobs, to take up positions in Scotland.
>Swinney’s appeal to his base built on his [comments last week](https://www.ft.com/content/31368a73-16c4-48e5-b69f-2cfdb332a989) before the conference when he urged Scots to reject the UK’s “relentless rightward direction” and embrace immigration as an economic lever in the face of an ageing population.
>“Wherever you are from, whatever your faith, whatever the colour of your skin . . . we all have a part to play and a contribution to make,” he said. “I am proud to say that refugees are welcome here,” he added, generating one of the most enthusiastic standing ovations in his speech.
>Swinney’s address was his second since taking over from former first minister Humza Yousaf in May 2024, whose decision to tear up a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens plunged the party into political crisis. Yousaf had himself been first minister for little over a year, having succeeded Nicola Sturgeon who was in the position for more than eight years.
>
Some audacity to say this when they have Forbes as their Deputy FM…
Snp decided to put forbes, an anti abortion, anti lgbt, religious fundamentalist in charge.
Abit rich of them to ignore that and point fingers at just lab/tories
Just give the vote again, 100% would rather have a Scotland, than a Reform pish,
Next year go for it
Do the SNP not have anything positive to say about themselves?
From my fairly short political memory you win elections by selling your own message, not just slagging off your opponents.
I will never change my opinion in that any Scottish person who voted to stay with the UK is not only a coward. But a fucking idiot.
Good points in this thread about Forbes. It is kinda mad how the SNP have a religious nutjob as deputy yet Labour have managed to place themselves further right than them.
Kate Forbes says different
Scottish people, just like most of the UK, tend to lean right on social issues and left on economic issues.
This, coming from a party that’s rowing back on its climate pledges, still engaging with Israel and has nothing to say about modern Scotland other than begging for another referendum it’s hoping to win on bus sized figures is hypocrisy on a grand scale.
Let the downvotes from the Indy fundamentalists begin…
Kate Forbes has obviously escaped his notice.
Undeniable
The fact that the only person from the SNP that anyone in the comments has a problem with is Forbes tells us that maybe the SNP doesn’t have as big a problem as yous would like to make out.
until the snp realise how many nats are against immigration too and watch them spiriting on after them xD
14 comments
>Scottish First Minister John Swinney on Monday positioned independence as an escape route for Scotland from a UK “broken beyond repair.”
>In his closing speech to the [Scottish National party](https://www.ft.com/stream/3c49c2af-784f-4311-9b46-f36a0c039836) conference in Aberdeen, Swinney accused Sir Keir Starmer of being a “rightwing prime minister”, who had “stolen” (former Labour leader) Jeremy Corbyn’s clothes and was now “dressing up” as Nigel Farage, the leader of the populist Reform UK.
>“Labour and Tories are locked in a race to the right,” he said. “A race that will only be won by Nigel Farage.”
>Scottish “revulsion” at the policies of former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher helped forge the creation of a Scottish parliament, he said. “Today I believe it will be revulsion at Westminster’s race to the right that will change Scotland’s status again.”
>In response to the UK’s decision to close the social care visa route in July, he announced plans for the Scottish government to assist “thousands” of overseas care professionals who had been left stranded in the UK after their employers lost their visa sponsorship licences.
>The Scottish government plans to provide £500,000 to help such care workers, who have lost their jobs, to take up positions in Scotland.
>Swinney’s appeal to his base built on his [comments last week](https://www.ft.com/content/31368a73-16c4-48e5-b69f-2cfdb332a989) before the conference when he urged Scots to reject the UK’s “relentless rightward direction” and embrace immigration as an economic lever in the face of an ageing population.
>“Wherever you are from, whatever your faith, whatever the colour of your skin . . . we all have a part to play and a contribution to make,” he said. “I am proud to say that refugees are welcome here,” he added, generating one of the most enthusiastic standing ovations in his speech.
>Swinney’s address was his second since taking over from former first minister Humza Yousaf in May 2024, whose decision to tear up a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens plunged the party into political crisis. Yousaf had himself been first minister for little over a year, having succeeded Nicola Sturgeon who was in the position for more than eight years.
>
Some audacity to say this when they have Forbes as their Deputy FM…
Snp decided to put forbes, an anti abortion, anti lgbt, religious fundamentalist in charge.
Abit rich of them to ignore that and point fingers at just lab/tories
Just give the vote again, 100% would rather have a Scotland, than a Reform pish,
Next year go for it
Do the SNP not have anything positive to say about themselves?
From my fairly short political memory you win elections by selling your own message, not just slagging off your opponents.
I will never change my opinion in that any Scottish person who voted to stay with the UK is not only a coward. But a fucking idiot.
Good points in this thread about Forbes. It is kinda mad how the SNP have a religious nutjob as deputy yet Labour have managed to place themselves further right than them.
Kate Forbes says different
Scottish people, just like most of the UK, tend to lean right on social issues and left on economic issues.
This, coming from a party that’s rowing back on its climate pledges, still engaging with Israel and has nothing to say about modern Scotland other than begging for another referendum it’s hoping to win on bus sized figures is hypocrisy on a grand scale.
Let the downvotes from the Indy fundamentalists begin…
Kate Forbes has obviously escaped his notice.
Undeniable
The fact that the only person from the SNP that anyone in the comments has a problem with is Forbes tells us that maybe the SNP doesn’t have as big a problem as yous would like to make out.
until the snp realise how many nats are against immigration too and watch them spiriting on after them xD
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