Swinney says ‘stars are aligning’ for Scottish independence as SNP meets
Al Jazeera English · Published on October 17, 2026
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Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, has said the “stars are aligning” for Scotland to seek independence. Speaking at the Scottish National Party’s conference on Saturday, the SNP leader said unionist parties across the UK had become weaker than ever. “2026 has been a turning point on Scotland’s journey towards statehood and there is no turning back,” he said. Swinney pointed to the biggest pro-independence majority ever in the Scottish Parliament, although the SNP fell short of an overall majority earlier this year in its fifth consecutive term. Last month, leaders of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish parties met in Cardiff to declare their right to decide whether to remain in the UK. Scottish polls often show voters split on leaving. Al Jazeera’s Frances Read reports. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://x.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #AlJazeeraEnglish #Scotland #SNP #JohnSwinney #ScottishIndependence #News
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