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John Swinney branded 'clueless' on independence as 'depressed' SNP members gather in Aberdeen

From the Newshound archive · first published 14 October 2026 · last updated 15 October 2026.

John Swinney will launch the 'Choose Scotland' independence campaign this weekend, backed by a £100,000 budget and targeting nearly 1.5 million households, after a new poll put Yes support at 52%.
John Swinney will launch the 'Choose Scotland' independence campaign this weekend, backed by a £100,000 budget and targeting nearly 1.5 million households, after a new poll put Yes support at 52%.
A new poll puts Yes support at 52%, the figure driving John Swinney's 'Choose Scotland' campaign targeting nearly 1.5 million households this weekend.
A new poll puts Yes support at 52%, the figure driving John Swinney's 'Choose Scotland' campaign targeting nearly 1.5 million households this weekend.

Veteran SNP figure Alex Neil has warned that senior party figures "clearly don't have a clue" how to advance the independence agenda as members gripped by "utter depression" descend on Aberdeen for the annual conference. John Swinney is launching the £100,000 'Choose Scotland' campaign — billed as the biggest pro-independence push since the 2014 referendum — but faces internal fury over his failure to deliver a credible path to IndyRef2. Swinney had promised a mandate if the SNP won a Holyrood majority, but fell seven seats short, and Prime Minister Andy Burnham has repeatedly ruled out another referendum.

Neil, a former Cabinet minister under both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, said the SNP government has been handling reform in a "ham-fisted" way.

The 'Choose Scotland' campaign will survey nearly 1.5 million people and run until Christmas, with a national day of action on St Andrew's Day.

A new poll has the SNP on track for an "emphatic win" at Westminster, but internal critics say support for independence must reach above 55 per cent before any push is viable.

Morebirmingham-now.co.ukSNP to launch ‘biggest independence campaign’ since 2014 referendumThe HeraldSNP to launch biggest pro-independence campaign since 2014 referendumThe ScotsmanSNP says it is launching biggest Scottish independence campaign since referendumDaily RecordJohn Swinney branded 'clueless' on achieving independence as 'depressed' SNP members gather in Aberdeen
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