Scottish Referendum 10 years on - First Minister John Swinney speaks

SWINNEY: TIME FOR REAWAKENING OF OPTIMISM AND HOPE TO SECURE INDEPENDENCE

SNP LEADER: “REFERENDUM HAS LEFT POSITIVE LEGACY ON SCOTLAND”

Addressing independence campaigners in Edinburgh this morning (18th September) on the 10-year anniversary of the 2014 referendum, First Minister and SNP Leader John Swinney is expected to say:

“For all of us who worked so hard for a Yes vote, the excitement of the campaign turned to heartbreak as the declarations started pouring in.

“As parliament returned I spoke to many leading figures in the No campaign.

“They were gracious, and they were understanding, that lifelong independence campaigners like me were truly hurting at that moment.

“But when I think about those days after of the referendum, I tell you what else I remember.

“It was how quickly people in the Yes campaign picked themselves up, dusted themselves down, and looked to the future with a renewed determination.

“Many of the grassroots campaign groups didn’t melt away. They stuck together, and they continued working in - and for - their communities.

“New friendships had been forged, and a new sense of possibility planted in the minds of thousands of people.

“That sense of empowerment resonates to this day.

“And that’s why, even though I was devastated by the result, I am in no doubt that Scotland’s independence referendum has left an overwhelmingly positive legacy on our country.

“And we – the Scottish National Party – should be incredibly proud that, together, we made that happen.

He will add:

“We have had a long, dark decade – a decade of austerity, of Brexit, of a cost of living crisis and a global pandemic.

“As a nation, we can’t just regret the things that we cannot do – it is time for us to start focusing again on the things that we can. And that is exactly what we are going to do.

“It starts by reawakening the sense of optimism, of hope and of possibility that was so prevalent throughout Scotland in 2014.

“We must lead by example, and we will.”