After suffering a significant defeat in the UK general election in July, the Scottish National Party (SNP) is beginning to reassess its strategy. During its yearly conference in Edinburgh, party leader and Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney, said the party would broaden its appeal to focus more on the public’s immediate needs like public services and economic issues rather than solely pushing for independence from the UK.
The dramatic defeat saw Labour overtaking the SNP with the latter losing 39 seats and returning with only nine representatives to the UK parliament in Westminster just eight weeks ago. If the SNP is to regain voters’ trust before the 2026 elections for the Scottish parliament in Holyrood, it needs to focus on public services amid expected deep budget cuts.
Mr Swinney alluded to the difficult financial road ahead, mentioning it as Scotland’s toughest financial challenge since devolution in 1998. Some of the devolved government’s key policies, like universal child benefit payments, are now under threat due to the financial reductions expected next month by the new Labour UK government. Labour was criticised by Swinney as duplicitous, promising voters a change in the recent election and then perpetuating the austere financial policies of the previous Tory government.
In another development, Angus Robertson, the Scottish government’s cabinet secretary for external affairs, was compelled to apologise to SNP members after he held a controversial meeting with Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UK last month. The meeting led to widespread outrage within the SNP, known for its strong pro-Palestinian stance. Robertson assured members that his decision to meet with the diplomat didn’t imply an acceptance of the Scottish government’s relations with Israel.
As the Scottish National Party (SNP) meeting occurred throughout the weekend, a constant stream of protesters advocating for Palestinian rights assembled outside the location. During his afternoon address, Mr Swinney vocalised his support for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza.
The head of the SNP previously intimated, leading up to the conference, that unity among party members was important, particularly following their underwhelming election performance. This significant election stumble led to an introspective period within the SNP as they scrutinised their political tactics, including strategies geared toward achieving their ultimate goal of independence. However, the UK government has persistently rejected the SNP’s appeals for a new independence vote in recent times.
Though Mr Swinney implied there might be an immediate shift in the SNP’s political strategy, he reassured party supporters that the objective of separating from the UK persisted as their predominant goal and that it occupies his thoughts continuously.