John Swinney declares Scottish independence referendum campaign 'has already begun', but his 'six-figure war chest' starts at £100,000
His voice broke as he addressed SNP members in Aberdeen, saying he wanted independence for Matthew, his teenage son, who was watching from the audience. The campaign, named Choose Scotland, kicks off this weekend and has been billed as "the most sophisticated campaign" the party has run. Membership, however, has fallen sharply to around 51,000 from a 2019 peak of 125,000. The SNP also shed seats in May, leaving it with 58 MSPs.
Swinney rejected Andy Burnham's Manchester model: "Scotland is no city. We are no region."
The SNP still owes £60,000 to its jailed former chief executive Peter Murrell.
When his autocue stalled, Swinney muttered "oh, come on" before a standing ovation.
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The TelegraphSwinney: Scottish referendum campaign has already begunThe TimesJohn Swinney says stars are aligning for independence. His party isn’t so sureBBC News - ScotlandSwinney's emotional explanation for his commitment to independenceThe IndependentEmotional John Swinney says he'll deliver Scottish independence for teenage sonThe GuardianSNP says campaign for next referendum on independence ‘has already begun’Evening StandardJohn Swinney tells SNP conference of drive to deliver independence for his sonThe ScotsmanSwinney's 'sophisticated' Choose Scotland campaign shows indy is push treading waterThe HeraldJohn Swinney says stars are aligning but support for independence remains stuckThe HeraldJohn Swinney says the campaign for Scottish independence has already begunYahoo News UKSNP launches new independence campaign
