John Swinney: SNP could keep pound sterling currency policy

The SNP could go into a second independence referendum arguing again that Scotland should share the pound with the rest of the UK, John Swinney said yesterday.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

The Deputy First Minister suggested the party once again campaign for a shared currency despite that economic policy being blamed for the SNP’s failure to win in 2014.

Speaking at a fringe event at the conference, the former finance secretary admitted a better economic case was required to persuade Scots to leave the UK. But he added that he did not regret making the case for an independent Scotland to share the pound with the e UK – a stance opposed by former SNP depute leader Jim Sillars, leading Yes campaigner Dennis Canavan and the Greens.

Asked if that means Nationalists will pursue a different economic policy in a future independence campaign, he said: “I don’t know if it necessarily has to be.”

Scottish Labour’s Iain Gray said: “Many of the fundamental questions that were unresolved and unanswered in 2014, remain so. Not least the question of currency. What we don’t need is more turmoil.”