Swinney: Scottish independence vote left positive legacy

Mr Swinney is expected to tell independence backers that the "sense of empowerment" around the movement still resonates.

The Yes campaign lost the referendum 55% to 45% and 10 years on there is no immediate route to independence.

In a speech to pro-independence supporters, Mr Swinney is expected to highlight the need to reignite the Yes movement.

He will say: "We have had a long, dark decade - a decade of austerity, of Brexit, of a cost of living crisis and a global pandemic.

"As a nation, we can't just regret the things we cannot do - it is time for us to start focusing again on the things that we can. And that is exactly what we are going to do.

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"It starts by reawakening the sense of optimism, of hope and of possibility that was so prevalent throughout Scotland in 2014.

"We must lead by example, and we will."

Mr Swinney's speech comes exactly 10 years since the referendum, with key figures speaking out on the anniversary.

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon wrote in the Daily Record yesterday that she is "as confident as ever" that Scotland will become independent.

Mr Swinney is also expected to reflect on the result, telling indyref backers: "For all of us who worked so hard for a Yes vote, the excitement of the campaign turned to heartbreak as the declarations started pouring in."

He said opponents on the No side were "understanding and gracious" that lifelong independence supporters were "truly hurting" from the result.

"But when I think about those days after the referendum, I tell you what else I remember," he said.

"It was how quickly people in the Yes campaign picked themselves up, dusted themselves down, and looked to the future with a renewed determination.

"That sense of empowerment resonates to this day. And that's why, even though I was devastated by the result, I am in no doubt that Scotland's independence referendum has left an overwhelmingly positive legacy on our country."

Meanwhile, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar reflected on the anniversary, stating Scottish voters had lived through a "decade of turbulence, division and decline in our politics".

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. (Image:PA) (Image: PA) However, he issued a positive look to the future as he said the country's "best days lie ahead of us".

Mr Sarwar said many politicians will look to the past when discussing the 10 year anniversary, but he said he would look to the future with a clear eye on the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.

He said a UK Labour Government, elected in July, brought the "opportunity to begin the work of clearing up the mess left by the SNP".

He said: "I don't care how people voted in the past - what I care about is the better and fairer Scotland that we can build together.

"Let's work together so we can deliver the change we all need and usher in a decade of national renewal."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton accused the SNP of "picking the scab of their defeat".

He said the general election result showed people "wanted to move on from the divisions of the past".

"They wanted their governments to focus on what really mattered - fixing the health service, lifting up Scottish education, giving our carers a fair deal and growing Scotland's economy."

Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater said he party was also looking to the future - but that a 20th anniversary of the vote would be celebrated in an independent Scotland.

She said: "So much has changed in the last 10 years, but I will always remember the optimism and the hope I felt that day."

"The last decade could have been so different, with Scotland spared the devastating impact of continued Tory rule and a disastrous Brexit that has increased prices, cost jobs and curbed our right to travel," she said.

"The need for independence is still clear to me. It is about empowering our communities and building a future that represents the hope and values of the people of Scotland."

Meanwhile, Scottish Tory chairman Craig Hoy urged the SNP to "finally let Scotland heal".

He said: “The nationalists insisted before the poll in 2014 that it was to be a once-in-a-lifetime vote on Scotland’s future – and yet they have spent every day since agitating for another one.

“Scotland has been stuck in a state of paralysis for 10 years precisely because the SNP have refused to accept the result. They have failed to move on and focus on the day job."