Thursday 17 September 2026
Russell Findlay, Union flag and Saltire, First Minister John Swinney, Irish flag and Saltire.
by BILL HEANEY
First Minister John Swinney has been told to “move on” from his constitutional obsession and focus on fixing Scotland’s public services.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay used First Minister’s Questions to challenge Swinney on his latest push for independence.
He condemned Swinney’s new friendship with Sinn Féin, whom he sat alongside at a “separatist summit” in Cardiff on Monday.
Findlay also slammed previous remarks from Swinney, where he told victims of IRA terror to “move on” which was met with fury given Sinn Féin’s refusal to denounce IRA terror.
He turned the tables on Swinney when he asked him why victims of the IRA and their families move on when he refuses to move on from the arguments of the 2014 referendum.
Findlay said the break-up of the United Kingdom is the one thing Swinney truly cares about and that Scotland is paying a heavy price for the SNP’s obsession.
He highlighted that Scotland’s NHS is broken, education standards are failing, and victims are being betrayed by the SNP’s justice system due to them playing second fiddle to Swinney’s independence plans.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: “John Swinney only truly cares about one thing. He wants to make Scotland poorer and weaker by leaving the United Kingdom.
“Scots are paying a heavy price for the SNP’s obsession, which reached new levels this week when Swinney went to Cardiff for a separatist summit.
“He showed at that summit that he is more than happy to sit alongside Sinn Féin despite their refusal to denounce IRA terror.
“Swinney shamefully said earlier this year that victims of IRA terror should move on. Why should they move on when he refuses to move on from the decisive result in the 2014 independence referendum?
“The SNP have never respected the outcome of that vote, and every issue has played second fiddle to the push for another divisive referendum over the last 12 years.
“Our NHS is broken, education standards are failing, and victims are being betrayed by the SNP’s relentless weakening of the justice system.
“These are the issues that the people want the SNP government to focus on, not their constitutional obsession.”