John Swinney confirms plans to request indyref2 from Westminster
> With Reform UK having made gains in England in council elections, the SNP leader added: “The results across the UK made clear why the need for independence is so urgent.
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> “Nigel Farage is now galloping towards Downing Street and the prospect of a Reform-led government is more likely than not.”
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> That, he said, gave rise to the prospect of the UK having a “prime minister who is openly hostile to minority groups, who has called for the privatisation of the NHS and the abolition of the Scottish Parliament”.
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> The First Minister added: “It is vital we unite in Scotland to ensure our Parliament is fully Farage-proofed.
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> “Nigel Farage is now galloping towards Downing Street and the prospect of a Reform-led government is more likely than not.”
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> That, he said, gave rise to the prospect of the UK having a “prime minister who is openly hostile to minority groups, who has called for the privatisation of the NHS and the abolition of the Scottish Parliament”.
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> The First Minister added: “It is vital we unite in Scotland to ensure our Parliament is fully Farage-proofed.