John Swinney will call a vote seeking independence powers on the first day of the next Scottish parliament even if he fails to win an overall majority, his aides have said.<\/p>\n
The Scottish National Party leader\u2019s senior adviser indicated that if necessary, he would rely on support from the pro-independence Scottish Greens to win that vote in order to demand the UK government gives Holyrood the legal powers to hold a second referendum.<\/p>\n
Swinney told his party\u2019s conference last year<\/a> that an overall SNP majority was the \u201cclear and unambiguous\u201d precondition for seeking those powers \u2013 a stance reinforced in the party\u2019s 2026 manifesto.<\/p>\n However, a strategy document unveiled by Swinney on Monday, setting out what an SNP government would do in its first 100 days, did not specify whether a majority was needed.<\/p>\n The document said the SNP would \u201cbring forward\u201d a vote in early May on the parliament\u2019s first sitting day if the SNP took power, without any preconditions.<\/p>\n Russell Findlay, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said the SNP was out of touch with its focus on independence. Photograph: Jane Barlow\/PA<\/p>\n Swinney was asked repeatedly by reporters to say whether that vote would take place if he failed to win a majority, and he refused to do so. The first minister stressed he would prefer a majority but added: \u201cI\u2019m simply saying to people, vote SNP and let\u2019s get on with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Swinney\u2019s most senior policy aide told reporters the vote would take place even with a minority government. \u201cYou continue to pursue your agenda to the maximum amount, as all governments do,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we\u2019re elected as a government that manifesto stands. Otherwise what\u2019s the purpose of a manifesto? The whole manifesto stands.\u201d<\/p>\n The first 100 days document said the SNP would publish a draft referendum bill at a later date with the same yes or no question on independence from the 2014 referendum.<\/p>\n If it is produced, that draft bill would have no legal standing and would be highly unlikely to be formally tabled at Holyrood. Attempts to do so by former first minister Nicola Sturgeon<\/a> were blocked by the lord advocate, Scotland\u2019s chief law officer, because those powers are solely reserved to Westminster.<\/p>\n