SNP leader says Burnham could be UK’s final prime minister amid independence push

Scottish National Party leader John Swinney announced at a Cardiff press conference that a Scottish independence referendum should occur within the next five years, citing poll data that suggests a majority now backs leaving the United Kingdom. He, together with Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth and Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill, signed a memorandum of understanding demanding that the UK government prepare and facilitate constitutional change for each jurisdiction, referencing the Good Friday Agreement as a framework.

Swinney criticised Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s recent statement that a referendum remains “off limits” after Burnham had earlier told the House of Commons a vote could proceed with a clear consensus in Scotland. He warned that if Burnham’s devolution logic is applied consistently, Burnham will be the last prime minister of the United Kingdom. Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth echoed the sentiment that the trigger for a new referendum has already been met, while Conservative and Labour figures dismissed the summit as a distraction. The UK government reiterated its commitment to the Union and to focusing on economic issues rather than constitutional debates.