Scottish First Minister John Swinney speaks to the media on the Port of Leith distillery, following the Labour Occasion’s landslide victory within the basic election, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Friday, July 5, 2024. | Photograph credit score: AP
The professional-separatist Scottish Nationwide Occasion was nearly worn out within the UK basic election on 5 July, dealing a devastating blow to its weakened independence motion.
Keir Starmer’s Labour Occasion has overturned greater than a decade of SNP dominance by successful a majority of Scotland’s 57 seats and seizing energy at Westminster.
The SNP misplaced dozens of lawmakers and recorded its worst end in a British basic election since 2010, with chief John Swinney lamenting a “very, very troublesome and damaging” night time for his get together.
Mr Swinney had set a goal of successful 29 seats as a mandate to reopen negotiations with the British authorities for an additional independence referendum, however he solely gained 9 seats and a end result has but to be declared.
This determine represents a discount in comparison with the 48 obtained within the final elections in 2019.
Final outing, Labour solely elected one Scottish MP, however sealed its comeback in its former stronghold by sweeping all of the seats in Glasgow, in addition to many others in Scotland’s central belt.
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The crushing loss for the SNP means it has relinquished its place as Britain’s third-largest get together, giving it a distinguished place in the course of the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions session in parliament.
It should additionally lose public funding and key positions on parliamentary choose committees.
“We must do some deep soul looking as a celebration because of these outcomes that had been introduced tonight,” admitted SNP chief John Swinney. BBC.
Monetary scandal
The SNP has dominated Scotland within the final three UK elections, reaching its highest variety of seats in 2015 when it gained 56 of the 59 obtainable seats. In 2010, it gained simply six seats.
However the get together has been underneath strain from a resurgent Labour get together in its former stronghold north of the English border, whereas it faces a wave of anti-Tory discontent throughout the nation.
The SNP has been in turmoil for months as voters tire of its 17 years accountable for the devolved Scottish parliament in Edinburgh.
Critics have additionally accused him of specializing in independence on the expense of key points reminiscent of the price of dwelling disaster, training and healthcare.
Assist for the SNP has additionally plummeted amid a monetary scandal that led to former SNP MP Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, being charged with embezzlement. Murrell is the get together’s former chief govt.
Ms Sturgeon herself was arrested however launched with out cost.
Mr Swinney solely took up the function in Might, following the resignation of Humza Yousaf after the SNP’s power-sharing cope with the Scottish Greens in Edinburgh collapsed.
Mr Yousaf was in energy for simply over a yr.
The end result leaves the SNP with an enormous struggle forward to retain management of the devolved authorities in Edinburgh when voters elect a brand new Scottish parliament in 2026.
“The Scottish Nationwide Occasion must heal and it must heal its relationship with the individuals of Scotland, and I’m completely dedicated to doing that,” Swinney mentioned.
Labour and the Conservatives insist independence was addressed within the 2014 referendum, when 55 % of Scottish voters opted to stay a part of the UK.
Regardless of the SNP’s decline, the variety of Scots in favour of independence has remained at round 40 per cent, in line with polls, offering some consolation to the SNP.
