John Swinney today made clear that breaking up the UK will be his only priority if he wins a majority on May 7.
The SNP’s manifesto, which he launched this morning, states said that winning the election outright “will lay the path” to an independence referendum, while Swinney added that 2028 was a “very realistic” date for it to be held.
The Scottish Conservatives have described his threat as “deadly serious” and a “wake-up call to pro-UK voters that the Union is on the line at this election”.
Leader Russell Findlay added that nobody would believe Swinney’s pledge not to increase income tax bands and rates, when the SNP broke the same pledge in the last parliament.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: “John Swinney spelled out loud and clear that breaking up the UK will be his only priority if the SNP win a majority on May 7.
“He is deadly serious about pushing his lifelong independence obsession and he’s confident of bullying a weak Keir Starmer into granting another divisive referendum.
“This must act as a wake-up call to pro-UK voters that the Union is on the line at this election.
“Only the Scottish Conservatives can be trusted to stand up to the Nationalists – and voting for us on the peach ballot paper is the tried and tested way to stop an SNP majority and the constitutional chaos that would ensue.
“Nobody will believe John Swinney’s income tax pledges when the SNP made – and then broke – the same promises in their last manifesto.
“If he was serious about tackling the cost-of-living crisis then he wouldn’t have made Scots poorer by hitting them with the highest tax bills in the UK.”