'Independence would protect Scotland from Farage', Swinney to say

John Swinney is expected to say that independence is “necessary” to protect Scotland from the likelihood of a Nigel Farage-led government at Westminster.

The First Minister will be speaking at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Scotland conference in Edinburgh on Wednesday, and he is once again expected to make the case for Scottish independence.

He will say that it would change Scotland for the better by allowing the country to re-join the EU, bring energy bills down, make progress on child poverty, and protect Scotland from the “worst impacts of Westminster’s lurch to the right”.

“We need a parliament with the power not only to change Scotland for the better, but also to protect Scotland from the worst, because self-government works for Scotland,” Swinney is expected to say.

“The best chance of making the Scotland of tomorrow even better than the Scotland of today, is to put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands and to choose the fresh start that is EU membership as an independent nation state.”

The conference will also host Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who is expected to say that the age of Scottish politicians “tinkering around the edges” must come to an end.

In his keynote speech, Sarwar will say that Scotland cannot afford a “third decade of SNP failure” and accuse NHS and public services of being “on life support”.

Sarwar’s speech is expected to lay out Scottish Labour’s policy plans for the nation ahead of elections next year.

He will tell the conference that his party is planning to declare a national waiting times emergency to clear the NHS backlog, reform the Scottish NHS, tackle rising violence in schools, and deliver investment in “new high-pay jobs by ending the SNP’s block on new nuclear energy”.

“I am leading Scottish Labour into the Scottish Parliament elections with bold policies to deliver the transformative change that Scotland needs,” Sarwar is expected to say.

“The choice next is simple – more of the same with John Swinney and the SNP or transformative change with Scottish Labour.”

The speeches will be in the first half of the day and will be followed by an audience Q&A.

The event is IPPR Scotland’s 10th anniversary conference in Edinburgh.

The think tank will be joined by senior political figures, policy experts and practitioners for panels covering Scotland’s economy, net zero and more throughout the day.

The First Minister is expected to speak at 10.45am, and Sarwar is expected to speak at 12.30pm