It is fascinating to watch an SNP MSP dramatically announce her departure from the public square to respect a conference resolution that her own party leadership is actively ignoring. While you retreat to an email newsletter, the official @theSNP account, John Swinney, and The National spent the entire afternoon and evening happily defying the exact same boycott to farm engagement on this platform. The fact that backbenchers feel compelled to virtue signal their departure while the First Minister and the party's official communications team completely ignore the membership's vote tells you everything you need to know about how fractured the SNP has become. Retreating from public scrutiny isn't “respecting the intention” of the members; it is abandoning accountability because your government can no longer defend its record outside of a carefully orchestrated echo chamber.
Amongst the riveting stuff at the SNP conference yesterday was a keynote speech from Swinney about what drives him to seek Scottish independence. Midway through his autocue stopped working and a long period of silence followed as Swinney couldn't recall what he had to say.
The idea that defence is somehow a selling point for independence is laughably detached from reality😂. Separation from the UK means pulling Scotland out of NATO's nuclear umbrella, fracturing integrated defence supply chains, and forcing a newly independent state with a £5 billion structural deficit to somehow finance its own military forces from scratch. You cannot fund basic local council services or keep the trains running, yet you expect voters to believe you'll magically stand up an independent Ministry of Defence without completely bankrupting the country.
And once again, watching an SNP MP eagerly post this on X the very afternoon his party voted to quit the platform and run away to Bluesky is the ultimate hypocritical comedy😂.
How many times did John Swinney mention oil & gas in his conference speech? 0️⃣
How many times did he mention independence? 3️⃣0️⃣
Thousands of Scottish workers and businesses need our two governments to back our oil & gas sector.
Swinney really needs to sort his priorities out.
ICYMI: John Swinney’s obsession was on full display at SNP conference 👇
The Scottish Conservatives will always stand up to the separatists and their obsession with breaking up Britain.
John Swinney: "The referendum campaign on Scottish independence has already begun."
Through the looking glass. Do the people in the hall at SNP conference seriously believe this?
A reminder: You don't have to be particularly popular to win an election, and the SNP under John Swinney us not particularly popular. Going about pretending he is, as he's doing, is looking a bit unhinged
@jollyman56 As I’ve already said, the vast majority would lose their highly lucrative careers… why would they want something that would likely destroy their livelihoods?