John Swinney, First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), said Scotland must secure an independence vote before Nigel Farage could become Prime Minister.

This push for sovereignty represents an effort to insulate Scotland from the political influence of Reform UK, which Swinney views as a threat to Scottish governance.

Speaking to reporters in Edinburgh after the Scottish Holyrood election, Swinney said that the country needs to be "Farage-proofed" [1]. The SNP won 58 seats [2] in that election. Swinney said that the Scottish Parliament must be fully protected from the influence of Farage and his party by 2029 [3].

Swinney said that Scotland must gain the power to hold an independence vote before 2029 to guard against a potential Reform UK government [4]. While some reports suggest a second independence referendum could happen as soon as 2028 [5], Swinney focused on the necessity of securing this power before a potential change in UK leadership.

The First Minister linked the urgency of the independence bid to the rise of Nigel Farage. He said that the SNP will ensure that Farage and Reform are locked out of governance [6]. This strategy aims to ensure that the legislative priorities of Holyrood remain independent of the direction of the UK government if Reform UK were to take power in London.

Swinney said that "Holyrood must be fully Farage-proofed" [7] to maintain the stability of the Scottish administration. By pushing for a vote by 2029, the SNP intends to create a legal and political firewall between the Scottish government and the potential policies of a Reform UK-led Prime Minister.

“"We will ensure that Nigel Farage and Reform are locked out of governance."”

This move signals a strategic shift for the SNP, framing Scottish independence not just as a nationalistic goal, but as a defensive mechanism against the rise of right-wing populism in the UK. By setting a target date of 2029, Swinney is attempting to create a sense of urgency that ties the constitutional future of Scotland directly to the electoral trajectory of Reform UK.