I was heartbroken by referendum result, but I’m optimistic for future – Swinney

John Swinney has said he was “heartbroken” by the referendum result in 2014 ahead of the 10-year anniversary, but is “very optimistic about Scotland’s future”.

The vote took place on September 18 2014, with Scots voting by 55% to 45% to remain part of the UK.

The SNP would see an explosion in support in the wake of the poll, but failed to turn that into another referendum, despite repeated attempts.

Mr Swinney will take part in a number of events this week to mark a decade since Scots went to the polls.

Speaking ahead of the anniversary on Wednesday, the First Minister said: “No-one will take better decisions about Scotland’s future than the people who live here.

“Like many others, I was heartbroken by the referendum result, but I am very optimistic about Scotland’s future.

“I know that we have the resources and the talent to overcome any challenges we face – and as First Minister, I am committed to empowering our people and our nation to build a better future for all of us.”

Mr Swinney – who was one of the most senior people in the SNP during the referendum campaign – said the streets of the country were “truly buzzing”.

“Countless grassroots campaign groups, and people who in some cases had been disengaged with the political process for years, were out taking part in a lively and exciting debate about our country’s future,” he said.

“As we mark the anniversary of the referendum, we have a chance to reflect on what real empowerment looks like.

“The astonishing 85% turnout on that day speaks for itself – we all want the best for our country, and when you give people a real say over their future, they want their voice to be heard.”

He also lamented the success of other independent countries, which are “wealthier, they’re fairer and they’re happier, with more investment and less poverty”.

“By contrast, the last decade has also demonstrated how Scotland is damaged by decisions taken for us,” he said.

“Years of Tory austerity, the Brexit we didn’t vote for and disastrous decisions like Liz Truss’s mini-budget are all taking their toll on our living standards, our economy and our public services.”

But the Scottish Tories urged the First Minister to “change the record”, with party chairman Craig Hoy saying he sounds “increasingly desperate and delusional”.

“The fact that he praises everything about the vote except the result tells you all you need to know about the SNP’s priorities,” he added.

“His party has just been trounced in an election, because Scots can see that services and public finances are in crisis under the SNP’s catastrophic mismanagement, while their taxes are higher than any other part of the UK.

“The First Minister should focus on the real issues and drop the endless separatist rhetoric that Scots simply don’t want.”

While Scottish Labour MSP Neil Bibby said: “In the decade since the referendum, Scots have faced economic chaos from a Tory government and incompetence and decline from the SNP.

“Enough is enough. Scotland wants change.”

And Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “The SNP’s 2014 campaign was based on making up complete nonsense about borders and currencies. It did enormous damage to the fabric of Scotland and left a bitterness that has lingered for years.

“After the Scottish public rejected the SNP’s bid to break up the UK, they have spent the past decade obsessing over having another go, at the expense of looking after our health service and education.

“It seems like John Swinney has learned nothing from the defeat the public handed his party at the recent election.”