At the foot of the Kelpies in Falkirk, Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney made it crystal clear: the path to Scotland’s future lies in bold action. As he put it, “We have got to take bold action — that bold action is repeating what we did in 2011.”

That year, Scotland delivered a pro-independence majority to Holyrood — and in doing so, secured the first referendum on our nation’s future. Now, in 2026, we must do the same again.

John Swinney speaking at the Kelpies

It was heartening to see Mr Swinney reaffirm, in his regular press column and again locally at the Kelpies, that independence is not just part of the conversation — it is the conversation. He made it clear: “Indy means you can influence your future.” That’s a powerful truth. At every turn, Westminster has shown that it won’t deliver the change people are crying out for. Promise after promise has been broken — whether it’s on Brexit, economic justice, or democratic reform — and Labour are simply not the alternative they claim to be.

We now have a responsibility: to build momentum for independence with clarity, confidence, and compassion. Over a million people in Scotland have never had the chance to vote on our nation’s future — and in 2026, we can win that right back. That means:

• Winning a pro-independence majority in Holyrood once again
• Winning the argument with a positive, compelling vision of a fairer, greener, more prosperous Scotland
• Winning the right of the people to decide — because the future of Scotland should be in Scotland’s hands.

SNP Conference will be a vital opportunity to take that discussion forward with SNP members from across the country. Now is the time to ramp up our efforts, sharpen our message, and commit fully to delivering independence.

Let’s get to work — and let’s do it boldly.