Friends,

It is fantastic to be here today in the city of Glasgow.

A city that has been through a tough couple of weeks.

But just as it always does, Glasgow is bouncing back.

The city has come together.

Glasgow Central Station has re-opened.

And thanks to support from the SNP Government, Glasgow will rebuild.

Nothing exemplifies that more than the very building we gather in here today.

The Citizens Theatre is a remarkable asset for this city.

A true hub of artistic excellence and community spirit.

And it stands here as the wonderful venue we see today thanks to the hard-work of its staff – and as a result of more than £17 million in support over the years from the SNP Government.

Friends, a thriving Glasgow is central to ensuring a thriving Scotland.

And the SNP will always do everything in our power to Make Glasgow Flourish.

And I am delighted to welcome you all today to kick off a crucial election campaign for our country.

And I can tell you now, over the next six weeks, this party is going to run the biggest and best campaign we ever have.

I will lead our campaign from the front.

Campaigning with you in every corner of our country.

From our cities to our islands.

From Shetland to Stranraer.

And when I see the energy in this room, it is very clear to me.

This is a party that is ready.

Ready not just to fight this election.

Not just to win this election.

But to win big.

And to deliver the fresh start we need that only comes with independence.

Because friends, we go to the people of Scotland at this election with strengths that no other party can match.

Unlike our opponents, we can stand before the people of Scotland, confident in our record in government.

Our NHS has turned a corner.

Long waits are down, operations are rising, GP numbers are up – and walk in GP centres open seven days a week are opening on high streets across the country.

And we are delivering the best cost of living support in the UK.

The majority of people expected to pay less in tax, because we ask the better off to pay a bit more.

Peak fares gone.

Rail fares frozen.

Free tuition protected.

Free prescriptions guaranteed.

A Scottish Child Payment keeping child poverty down.

That is the record we are proud to take to the people at this election.

That is what the SNP delivers in government.

And friends, we can do something else that no other party in this election can.

We can make a fundamental declaration that our opponents will never match.

We can look the people of Scotland in the eye, and say to them with absolute honesty:

This party – Scotland’s party – will always, always, put Scotland’s interests first.

That is what we have always done and that is what we will always do.

And at this election, that means being focused on the things that matter most to the people of Scotland.

It means delivering on our plan to keep improving our NHS.

It means protecting people from the Westminster cost of living crisis in the here and now.

And it means demonstrating every day of this campaign that a better future for Scotland is possible.

Because people are fed up with a Westminster establishment that just does not work for them.

With a Westminster system that ensures the rich get richer, and the rest are left to struggle.

And with the ludicrous situation, that in energy rich Scotland, we pay some of the highest energy bills in Europe.

Friends, whether Westminster likes it or not – that one single fact could define this whole election campaign.

That makes the case for real fundamental change.

Friends, that makes the case for independence.

Because people in Scotland have looked to their government for help – and the UK Government has looked away.

They have utterly failed in their duty to protect the people of this country.

They have taken Scotland’s energy wealth and given us nothing back in return when we needed it.

Let me make it absolutely clear, the SNP Government will never look the other way while our fellow citizens are scared to turn their heating on.

So if the UK Government are not prepared to bring bills down, they had better get out of the way for a government that will.

Friends, people’s struggles with energy bills were already serious.

That was even before the reckless American and Israeli attacks on Iran.

What we are seeing on our tv screens every night is devastating.

Let me be clear, the UK Government must not find itself being pulled into an offensive war.

A war that we in Scotland do not want, cannot be justified and from which there is no exit strategy.

We have seen this before with Labour governments – we must not see it again.

Friends, our task every day of this campaign is to make the case for the fresh start of independence.

That is why I am so optimistic.

Because we have a fundamentally positive vision for the future of our country.

What a contrast with those we are standing against.

Nigel Farage and Reform have no interest in building Scotland’s future – they only want to tear things down.

We know three things about Farage.

That he wants to sow division in our communities.

That he wants to shut down our Parliament and cut Scotland’s budget.

And that he would sell off our NHS to the highest bidder the second he got near power.

So let us say loudly and clearly, our NHS will not be bought and sold for Farage’s gold.

A vote for the SNP is a vote to keep Nigel Farage away from power.

And to say that our NHS will always stay in public hands.

And friends, we know exactly what we’ll get from the Labour party.

We know what Labour are going to do in this campaign – because we have heard it all before.

Keir Starmer promised Scotland the world two years ago – and they have not even tried to keep their promises.

Winter Fuel Payments.

The tax on jobs.

Grangemouth closed

North Sea jobs lost.

That is what Labour means for Scotland.

We already have one disastrous Labour government – and we do not need another one.

Friends, it is the abject failure of Keir Starmer’s government that has shown us once and for all that Westminster will simply never work for Scotland.

That it is not about which prime minister is in Downing Street.

It is about a whole rotten system that is built to look out for a privileged few – and not for ordinary people.

Well this election is our chance to send a message that the Westminster establishment cannot sweep under the carpet.

And to tell them loudly and clearly – that the future of Scotland will be decided by the people of Scotland.

Because friends, we know what we have to do in this election.

And though it will not be easy, ours is a party that is built on ambition.

And that is how we are going to approach this campaign.

We can deliver an SNP Government.

One that keeps on making our NHS better.

A government that delivers more support with the cost of living.

That extends support for childcare to every family in Scotland.

Which helps first time buyers with £10,000 towards a deposit.

And a government that always puts Scotland first.

But we can do more than that.

If we win big. If we persuade enough of our fellow citizens to put their faith in us. We can achieve a historic majority that will deliver so much more.

Because an SNP majority does two things.

It unlocks the potential for truly transformational change with independence.

And it locks Nigel Farage out of any influence in Scotland’s Parliament.

That is the goal we are setting ourselves today – and that is the outcome that I intend to deliver for Scotland.

Because be in no doubt, depending on how the numbers stack up after the election, without an SNP majority there is always the potential for a grubby, backroom deal between Labour and Reform.

So let us resolve today that we will take them on, we will defeat them, we will make sure Nigel Farage is locked out of power and we will make sure Scotland’s future is in Scotland’s hands.

And an SNP majority will deliver for us the greatest prize.

The right for Scotland to decide our own future in a referendum.

It happened in 2011, and I am determined that it will happen again in 2026.

Because the case for independence has never been greater.

Food prices. Energy bills

Brexit, Trident.

A Westminster system in complete chaos.

People are crying out for real change – for a fresh start.

That is what we will deliver. That is what you get when you vote SNP.

The SNP is clear in what we are offering the people at this election.

And friends, I want to be just as clear what I am offering.

About why people should put their trust in me as their First Minister.

I want people in Scotland to know exactly what they are getting with me – because these are serious times, and they demand serious leadership.

I have spent my entire adult life in the service of this country.

And I know how to get things done.

If I am re-elected as your First Minister, I will give everything I have to make this country a better place for everyone who lives here.

I will stand against those who seek to divide us.

I will use every bit of my experience to deliver on the promises I make.

And I will give every fibre of my being to always standing up for Scotland because like you, I care about and I love Scotland.

That is who I am.

It is who I have always been.

And that is who I will be if you put your faith in me as your First Minister.

I will work night and day over this campaign to earn and re-earn your trust and deliver on your priorities.

So on May 7th vote SNP for strong, experienced leadership.

Vote SNP to improve our NHS.

Vote SNP for more help with the cost of living.

And vote SNP for the fresh start of independence.

Because this election is Scotland’s great opportunity.

We are standing on the verge of a truly historic moment.

But it will only happen if we work for it, and people vote for it.

So together, let’s get out there and make it happen.

Thank you very much.

John Swinney

https://www.snp.org/we-are-standing-on-the-verge-of-a-truly-historic-moment/