John Swinney has underlined his position that his party still has a mandate for independence, even if it doesn't win the most seats at the general election on Thursday.

The SNP’s manifesto says if it wins the majority of Scottish seats on July 4, they could trigger independence talks.

However, the polls puts Labour on course to take the most Scottish seats, not the SNP, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he would not agree to a new independence referendum even if the SNP win a majority of seats on July 4.

Polls last week suggested the gap between the two parties north of the border is narrowing, but because of the concentration of Labour support in the more populous central belt, it would end up on more seats.

On Sunday Mr Swinney insisted SNP would still have a mandate for independence because they won the 2021 Scottish election - repeating a stance he adopted when he launched the SNP's manifesto earlier this month.

Speaking to BBC Scotland, the First Minister said: “I think it is a complex discussion. In 2021 the people of Scotland voted to elect a Scottish Parliament committed to delivering a referendum on independence and for Scotland to become an independent country.

“The key thing is that mandate that was given to the Scottish Parliament should be respected and honoured.”

He was pressed that a ruling by the Supreme Court in 2022 found that Holyrood did not have the power to hold an independence referendum with the matter reserved to Westminster.

Mr Swinney replied: "I believe in the sovereignity of the people of Scotland and the people of Scotland voted in 2021 for that mandate and it should be honoured. It should have been honoured before now."

The SNP launched its election battle bus on Friday, with less than a week to go until the polls open.

The First Minister said it was right to leave the launch until so late on in the campaign because it would have been a “waste of money” to have done so earlier.

He also said he needed to concentrate on running the country, given the Scottish Parliament didn’t break up for summer recess until Thursday.

Mr Swinney added: “We need a positive message about what the SNP can do for them.

“That’s what I’m focused on, the really big issues of austerity and the £18 billion tranche of spending cuts coming towards us from a Labour government, which will be elected on Thursday because of the overwhelming number of votes in England.

“That will have a negative impact on the finances of Scotland because they will continue with austerity, which is the last thing we need.”

SNP Westminister leader Stephen Flynn, who is standing in Aberdeen South, also appeared on the Sunday politics shows.

He said: “There is a conspiracy of silence with £18 billion of public sector cuts agreed by Labour and the Conservatives.

“That is a choice they’re making at this election, which we oppose.

“We believe in investment in our public services and the NHS - we need to get away from the race to the bottom in Westminster which has broken the fabric of our society.”

Following both Mr Swinney and Mr Flynn’s television appearances on Sunday morning, the Scottish Conservatives urged Scots to vote for them instead of Reform, as that could “risk an SNP win”.

Meghan Gallacher MSP, the party’s deputy leader, said: “John Swinney can try to dupe voters all he wants, but independence is ‘page one, line one’ of the SNP manifesto for a reason.

“He’ll use every SNP MP elected on Thursday to try to split up the UK but, in key seats up and down Scotland, the Scottish Conservatives are ready to beat the nationalists and end their bid for independence for good.

“It will be really tight between the SNP and the Scottish Conservatives in key seats across the country, so a vote for any other party - including Reform - risks an SNP win.”