First Minister John Swinney’s speech to the SNP’s 2026 Campaign Conference

It’s hard to believe eighteen months have passed since we last gathered in this hall.

 

And since then, we’ve made a lot of progress as a party.

 

But as you heard from Stephen Flynn this morning, I’m only just getting started.

 

We are on the eve of a crucial election.

 

I have been out campaigning with you all over Scotland, and here’s what I know and what I have seen.

 

We are ready.

 

Ready to fight the election

 

Ready to fight for Scotland.

 

And ready to win our independence.

 

The progress we’ve made is because we’ve put Scotland, and the people’s priorities first.

 

That starts with our National Health Service.

 

And my plan is working.

 

We’ve halved NHS waiting times for new outpatients.

 

GP numbers are up.

 

The number of operations is rising, with thousands more hip and knee operations.

 

Long waits are down for eight months in a row.

 

And, from Stranraer to Shetland, just like I promised you, we are opening new walk-in GP clinics.

 

Conference, that is the SNP delivering for our most precious public service – that is the SNP delivering for our NHS.

 

And it means acting on the cost of living which is hurting people every day.

 

It feels like prices just keep going up.

 

That’s why we are taking action wherever we can.

 

That’s why we have ended peak fares on our railways and frozen ticket prices.

 

That’s why bus travel is free for the youngest, and oldest passengers.

 

No tuition fees, free prescriptions.

 

Free childcare worth more than £6,000 per year.

 

The people’s priorities, conference – always the priorities of the SNP.

 

That’s why we’ve got the lowest child poverty rates.

 

Unemployment is far below the UK level and economic growth is higher.

 

Near record levels of young people going into work, training or education.

 

Transformational land reform.

 

And business investment at a 20-year high.

 

Conference,

 

That is what SNP Government delivers:

 

More help with the cost of living than anywhere else in the UK.

 

A stronger NHS.

 

A better Scotland.

 

That is what you get when you vote SNP.

 

Friends,

 

We have always been an outward-looking country – it’s part of who we are.

 

That is what the Westminster parties misunderstand when they say Scotland has no right to speak out on international events.

 

That defending human rights and international law is somehow, someone else’s business,

 

That Scotland should stay silent.

 

Conference, let me be clear.

 

That is not who we are.

 

We will not stay silent while the world burns.

 

We will raise our voices.

 

We will call out for peace.

 

Peace in Iran, in Gaza, in Ukraine.

 

We will speak out against injustice and speak up for those who cannot.

 

And, with the SNP, Scotland’s voice will never, ever be silenced.

 

Conference

 

In an increasingly unstable world, we have to make sure our country is safe.

 

But that is not achieved by wasting hundreds of billions of pounds on weapons of mass destruction.

 

All whilst the UK’s conventional forces are left exposed.

 

While Westminster politicians prioritise the status symbol of Trident over our security.

 

But the SNP is unequivocal.

 

Scotland is unequivocal.

 

We will never compromise on this.

 

Weapons of mass destruction have no place in the world – and Trident nuclear weapons have no place in Scotland.

 

Conference,

 

Right now, once again, the world is watching as war rages in the Middle East.

 

We all know the Iranian regime is brutal and illegitimate.

 

It has brought untold suffering on its own citizens, and on people across the region.

 

But that does not justify what we are seeing on our television screens every night.

 

Tehran in flames. Whole streets on fire. Schools bombed. Thousands killed.

 

The Iranian regime have terrorised their own population.

 

Now, those self-same civilians are dying at the hands of American and Israeli bombs.

 

So let me be clear:

 

The unjustifiable actions of the United States and Israel have no basis under international law.

 

They. Must. Stop.

 

For the sake of the innocent children of Iran.

 

For the sake of peace.

 

Our call is for diplomacy, for de-escalation, and an end to this war.

 

Conference

 

We will always speak up for the protection of innocent civilians and international law.

 

But as an independent country we could do more.

 

We will demonstrate not just with words but with actions how Scotland can be a voice for peace.

 

We will use the powers of independence to enshrine into our constitution a legally binding ban on nuclear weapons on our soil and in our seas.

 

And conference we will go further.

 

With independence, we will ban any foreign military power engaged in illegal conflicts from our shores.

 

Two statements will be written directly into the very foundational document of our new nation.

 

Not in our name, not in our country.

 

Conference,

 

The international upheaval we are seeing threatens to destabilise economies around the world, including our own.

 

If things were not tough enough already, this reckless war will make the cost of living crisis worse.

 

Fuel Prices. Food Prices. Electricity.

 

People’s lives, livelihoods, and plans for the future have been thrown into chaos.

 

All across Scotland, the message is the same.

 

Many people struggling to put food on the table.

 

Or scared to put the heating on.

 

Parents worried their kids will never be able to afford the life they enjoyed.

 

And people who have worked their whole lives finding that their pension just isn’t enough.

 

No wonder they feel angry, no wonder they feel trapped.

 

Quite simply, Westminster is broken.

 

It doesn’t generate enough economic growth.

 

It doesn’t generate enough money for our public services.

 

And it looks the other way as the super-rich get even richer.

 

Westminster hasn’t worked for Scotland,

 

Westminster doesn’t work for Scotland.

 

Westminster will never ever work for Scotland.

 

Conference,

 

The Westminster parties want you to believe that this is as good as it gets.

 

The SNP will never accept that.

 

Because we know a much brighter future for Scotland is ours to build.

 

To glimpse that future we only have to lift our heads and look to our independent neighbours.

 

All around us right now there are countries, just like Scotland, showing us the way.

 

Stronger economic growth.

 

Higher living standards.

 

Less inequality.

 

Higher pensions.

 

Less poverty.

 

More money for public services.

 

Friends,

 

That is the standard to which Scotland should aspire.

 

We more than have what it takes to match those nations.

 

Our people are every bit as talented.

 

And we’ve got natural resources that most could only dream of.

 

But we will never get there as part of a Britain broken by Brexit.

 

We know there is a better way forward.

 

The fresh start that Scotland needs is within our grasp.

 

Because, at this election, we’re not just in it to win government,

 

We are in it to win independence for Scotland.

 

Because delegates, our goal is nothing less than transforming Scotland into the country we know in our hearts it can be.

 

And it starts with our very youngest.

 

SNP in government has transformed childcare.

 

When we first took office, the position we inherited was pitiful.

 

Step by step, we increased support for families.

 

Every step forward changed lives.

 

But we are not going to stop there.

 

Because I have heard the calls from parents across the country– who need more support.

 

Who are struggling to juggle work and childcare.

 

They make the point that the working day doesn’t stop at 3pm.

 

We have to go further.

 

It is time to take a giant leap forward and finish the job we started.

 

That is why I can announce today, that a re-elected SNP Government will extend childcare for every child in our country from 9 months old to the end of Primary School.

 

And available 52 weeks a year.

 

More transformational change- delivered by the SNP.

 

Your SNP Government working for Scotland.

 

The SNP working for the people we serve.

 

Delegates this will be backed by over half a billion pounds of new investment.

 

We will deliver a brand-new childcare system that fits around families – rather than expecting families to fit around the system.

 

And because parents’ work doesn’t stop during the summer holidays – neither will the provision of childcare.

 

Our new approach will mean families benefit from between £1,400 up to over £11,000 dependent on need.

 

Every single family in Scotland will get help.

 

Delegates, no one gets left behind by the SNP.

 

Conference,

 

When I returned to Government I could see that Scotland was at a fork in the road.

 

I’ve worked to bring our country together, invest in our children, in our future, to offer hope.

 

But we know that others are urging another path.

 

Politicians who want to peddle fear of other people.

 

Who seek to divide rather than unite.

 

Who tell you what they are all against, but not what they are for.

 

But our party, Scotland’s party, is different.

 

I am proud to lead a party which is guided at all times by our values.

 

So, no matter where you come from,

 

No matter your identity, your sexuality, your faith.

 

The message from this party is that we want every person and community in Scotland to thrive.

 

We believe in fairness and equality.

 

In the fundamental dignity of every person who chooses to live here.

 

So let us reaffirm today, Conference, that this party will always stand with everyone who chooses to make Scotland their home.

 

And that we will always take on – and defeat – those who peddle bigotry and division.

 

Friends,

 

Two weeks ago, we said goodbye to a woman who believed in that fundamental dignity to her core.

 

One of the finest servants of Scotland I have ever known.

 

The remarkable Jeane Freeman.

 

In a long and distinguished career, she devoted herself to the service of others.

 

Whether she was inspiring women to get involved in Scotland’s referendum.

 

Working with offenders to change their lives.

 

Or building our new social security agency from scratch.

 

Leading our NHS through the pandemic.

 

Or volunteering at the Beatson Clinic with her tea trolly.

 

Jeane never accepted second best.

 

And she was fearless in standing up for what she believed in.

 

But she didn’t just believe in a better Scotland – she helped to build a better Scotland.

 

Her legacy is an inspiration to us all.

 

So let’s resolve, today, to build on Jeane’s legacy.

 

To run towards the big challenges – rather than away from them.

 

And not just to believe in a better Scotland.

 

But to work together, every day, to build a better Scotland.

 

Conference,

 

Every day I am determined to be a First Minister that delivers for our people.

 

When we last met in Aberdeen in October, I promised I would step in and fix the mess that Westminster had made for international social care workers.

 

I said that we would sponsor skilled staff to come to Scotland and start work immediately.

 

And conference, I have delivered that.

 

Scotland will have 30,000 extra care hours every month through our Displaced Workers Scheme.

 

That is 30,000 extra hours of care for the people we love.

 

30,000 extra hours because of a vision based on dignity, rather than ignorance and prejudice.

 

That is the SNP delivering for Scotland.

 

Five months ago, I promised that I would deliver 15 new walk-in GP clinics.

 

Now, walk-in GP clinics are appearing on high streets across the country, open 7 days a week.

 

I have heard directly from people who tell me how these clinics fit around their daily routines and bypass the 8am rush.

 

I have heard from doctors about how they are freeing up more time for family GPs.

 

And I have heard the calls of local campaigners for sites to be located in their communities.

 

So today I can announce that we will go further.

 

If re-elected, the SNP will deliver 30 GP walk-in clinics across the country.

 

We will double our original pledge.

 

Reaching more villages, towns and communities the length and breadth of Scotland.

 

In Angus, Livingston, Paisley, Inverness, Glasgow, Falkirk, Ayrshire, Edinburgh, Lanarkshire, East Kilbride, Tweed Valley, East Renfrewshire and Dumbarton.

 

That is the SNP delivering for Scotland.

 

Conference, I will always be a First Minister that delivers for all of Scotland

 

And this week, I made a promise to the city of Glasgow.

 

That the SNP would stand shoulder to shoulder with the city as it rebuilds from the fire that has shocked us all.

 

I said on Tuesday that given the significant costs for the city, we would back those words with cash.

 

We have worked closely with Glasgow and with the Council Leader Susan Aitken and today I can announce the first steps.

 

The remaining façade of Union Corner sadly has to come down for the safety of the public. That will cost at least £1 million pounds.

 

That is £1 million pounds that should not come from the public services that Glaswegians rely upon.

 

This SNP Government will therefore underwrite the cost of clearing the site, meaning not a penny of the city’s public services budget will be lost.

 

And we will do more.

 

Some businesses have been utterly devastated – others in the area are suffering real hardship.

 

Today I can announce a £10 million recovery fund to support the Council, businesses and agencies to help rebuild and renew that vital part of the city.

 

Let me be clear today – we will stand by our biggest city in its hour of need.

 

The SNP will do everything in our power to make Glasgow flourish.

 

Friends,

 

I was struck by the sense of community that emerged in the hours after the fire.

 

The city rallied around the businesses and the livelihoods which had been lost.

 

And the emergency services, the firefighters who risked their lives to ensure people’s safety.

 

When times are tough, Scotland pulls together to look after one other.

 

We care for each other – for our neighbours, our colleagues, our friends.

 

That really matters.

 

Just look at the decisions Scotland has taken since our Parliament was established.

 

We have used every little bit of our self-government to support people throughout their lives.

 

For children in poverty: a Scottish Child Payment.

 

For young people: no tuition fees.

 

For first time buyers: help with your deposit.

 

To those facing ill health: Free prescriptions.

 

And later in life: Free Personal and Nursing Care.

 

From the beginning of our lives to the very end – self-government is making lives better.

 

An SNP Government is making people’s lives better.

 

And just look at the public institutions we have created.

 

A nationally-owned railway, with no peak fares.

 

A social security agency, based on dignity and respect.

 

A national investment bank, unlocking transformational long-term projects.

 

And if the SNP win the election, a new public Housing Agency to ensure every man, woman and child in Scotland has access to affordable good-quality housing.

 

These are not just the symbols of self-government – making people’s lives better in the here and now.

 

Friends, these are the building blocks of our new independent nation and you can be sure we are not going to stop there.

 

Conference,

 

Central to a decent society, is making sure everyone has a good home.

 

And I have heard from so many young people who don’t believe that owning their own home will ever be a reality for them.

 

Many of them are paying more on rent than they would pay on a mortgage – but they just cannot find a way to build up the deposit they need.

 

With bills seeming to just go up and up, there just isn’t enough left at the end of the month to save up.

 

It is a trap, leaving them locked out of home ownership, often well into their thirties.

 

But the SNP Government will step up.

 

Conference,

 

If re-elected we will provide up to £10,000 towards a deposit to give people the help they need to buy their first home.

 

A generation let down by Westminster will be helped by the SNP.

 

Conference,

 

When you look at the great steps forward we have taken, you can see that they are the foundations of an independent nation state.

 

And none of them would have happened had Scotland not voted for our own Parliament.

 

That is the difference self-government makes.

 

But the great prize of becoming independent is that it allows us to complete that journey.

 

To consign an increasingly out of touch Westminster to history and replace it with something new.

 

Something which will be shaped by the people who care about Scotland the most, the people who live here.

 

Independence gives us the opportunity to entrench the things that matter to us.

 

We will ensure that access to our NHS remains free at the point of need, as a fundamental right.

 

While others flirt with privatisation, conference, let our party be clear – Scotland’s NHS is not for sale at any price.

 

Our health service will never, ever be privatised.

 

With independence, we will build the kind of economy that we want, with workers’ rights and equal pay enshrined within that.

 

Tailored not to the needs of the wealthiest

 

But instead to the unique strengths and talent of our people.

 

With independence, Scotland will benefit from our own vast energy wealth.

 

Choosing instead to put that wealth into the hands of the people.

 

Bringing down bills, delivering a just transition.

 

Westminster cannot be allowed to squander our renewable energy wealth.

 

So let us resolve today that Scotland’s energy should be in Scotland’s hands.

 

And the days of Scotland’s energy flowing to line the pockets of billionaires and the Treasury in London must be over for good.

 

With independence, we will have a seat at the top table of Europe once more.

 

Choosing not the isolation and economic damage of Brexit.

 

But instead giving our businesses the opportunity of trading freely inside the world’s largest single market.

 

Giving our people the freedom to live, work, and move all over the continent.

 

And putting democracy, human rights, and fairness at the heart of everything we do.

 

Let us reject the isolationism of Broken Brexit Britain once and for all – and take our place as Europe’s newest independent member state.

 

An independent Scotland will be made in its own image, and the power of the Scottish state will be derived from the people in all their diversity.

 

That, for me, is the essence of what independence for Scotland is about.

 

Where ‘A Man’s A Man For Aw That’ is not just a song that we sing on special occasions

 

But a value we live and breathe every single day.

 

This is not just some pipe dream

 

For people living in independent countries all around us, it is the daily reality.

 

And, delegates, have no doubt it will be Scotland’s reality.

 

Conference, we are closer to becoming independent than we have ever been.

 

We can almost touch it.

 

Support for our cause has never been at such sustained high levels.

 

And it is not just in Scotland where Westminster control is slipping away.

 

In May, for the first time ever, we could see First Ministers in Scotland, in Wales and in Northern Ireland elected, who are all committed to independence from the UK.

 

That would be an absolutely seismic moment.

 

For people watching around the world, there could be no clearer sign that Westminster’s time is up.

 

Each nation of the UK, of course, has its own history and its own future to determine.

 

But what we have in common is the desire for a new and truly equal partnership with people living across these islands.

 

The ability to form new partnerships – and rekindle old ones – with those beyond our shores.

 

Friends, Scotland can lead this great wave of change.

 

The opportunity before us is enormous – but we need to reach out and grab it.

 

In 2011, people in Scotland secured a path to independence by returning an SNP majority.

 

On the 7th of May, we need to do the same again.

 

And show Westminster once and for all that it is Scotland’s people that will determine Scotland’s future.

 

 

Friends,

 

Our message in this election is simple.

 

Your First SNP vote elects an SNP Government.

 

Use it to vote for a better NHS.

 

For GP walk-in clinics.

 

For help with the cost of living.

 

For the first-time buyers’ deposit

 

And a massive increase in childcare that leaves no one behind.

 

And your second SNP Vote delivers independence.

 

It secures a majority that will lay the path to a referendum

 

A referendum that we will win.

 

That’s the Scotland I want to live in.

 

That’s the Scotland I want to build, as First Minister.

 

On 7th May, make it Both votes SNP

 

Let’s build Scotland’s future together.

 

Thank you.