Russell Findlay, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, sharply criticized First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for collaborating with Sinn Fein during a press conference in Cardiff. Findlay expressed disgust over Swinney's failure to denounce IRA terrorism and questioned his sincerity regarding moving past political controversies. The article highlights the heated exchange between Findlay and Swinney at First Minister’s Questions, where Findlay accused Swinney of hypocrisy by not condemning terrorist activities while pushing for Scottish independence.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 14, 2026, the leaders of Scotland's SNP, Wales' Plaid Cymru, and Northern Ireland's Sinn Féin met in Cardiff to sign a memorandum of understanding pushing for referendums on independence from the UK. The meeting included SNP leader John Swinney, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, and Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill. They declared their right to self-determination, asserting that no Westminster government has the authority to block democracy or undermine their peoples' ability to decide their own futures. The agreement marks a significant moment as it's the first time all three nations have first ministers committed to independence from the UK simultaneously. Despite this stance, Rhun ap Iorwerth did not provide a timeline for a referendum in Wales, while John Swinney and Michelle O'Neill called explicitly for referendums in their respective countries. The meeting highlights growing dissatisfaction with the current constitutional arrangement within the UK, particularly following Prime Minister Andy Burnham's earlier suggestion that another Scottish independence vote could be allowed if there was a "clear consensus" in Scotland, which he later clarified to mean not being held back by the UK system. Critics argue this move is divisive and threatens the unity of the United Kingdom.
Written for “UK Independence Movement” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 18 other(s) covering the same event.
Published: | Updated:
Banished to the back corner of the debating chamber in May’s Holyrood elections, the Scottish Tories have been searching for an issue to get themselves front and centre again.
uncertain
themselves → publish → issue
Earlier this week, the First Minister kindly obliged by turning up in Cardiff for a press conference and a spot of subversion.
asserted
Minister → oblige → subversion
John Swinney openly plotted the dismantling of the United Kingdom with the leaders of Irish Nationalism and some bloke who claimed to run Wales.
asserted
who → plot → Wales
At last, Russell Findlay had his issue: Swinn Fein.
asserted
Findlay → have → issue
He was in high dudgeon at First Minister’s Questions, noting that ‘John Swinney’s new friends in Sinn Fein have never denounced IRA terrorism’, and reminded the SNP leader that the Shinners had justified the slaughter of countless people, including Scottish soldiers.
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Shinners → note → soldiers
The very fact he was prepared to sit down with Sinn Fein at all proves Mr Swinney is captive to his impatient and implacable rank and file.
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Swinney → sit → rank
You might say he is a political prisoner.
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he → say → ?
Swinney was taken to task about his relationship with Sinn Fein
The Tory leader’s voice rasped with disgust as he recalled Mr Swinney’s reply when asked in May about co-operation with Sinn Fein and the controversy it would stir: ‘I really do think people have got to move on.
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people → take → Fein
Do we suppose Mr Swinney will be telling people in Gaza to do the same any time soon?
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Swinney → suppose → same
The Nationalist hyena house was screeching and rattling the bars.
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house → screech → bars
Why, Mr Findlay asked, should the people of Ulster move on from the Troubles when he can’t move on from a sodding independence referendum.
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he → ask → referendum
Mr Swinney snapped that he had ‘always expressed my sympathy to the victims of terrorism’ and, what’s more, he had ‘also accepted, in good grace, the outcome of the referendum’.
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he → snap → referendum
The Tories and Reform cracked up at that one.
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Tories → crack → one
The man has never accepted anything in good grace in his puff.
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man → accept → puff
If you gave him the winning lottery numbers in advance, he’d complain about the cost of a ticket.
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he → give → ticket
He assured Mr Findlay that, ‘People in this country would be surprised if I did not stick to the principled reason why I entered politics’.
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I → assure → politics
People in this country would be surprised if Mr Swinney could locate a principle with a GPS and ground-penetrating radar.
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Swinney → locate → GPS
All the while, the din was building, as was the irritation on the Presiding Officer’s puss.
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irritation → build → puss
Unrepentant racket- merchant, Mr Kerr – Stephen (Tory), not Thomas (Reform) – was hooting and yelling and making a nuisance of himself.
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merchant → hoot → himself
His boss was still up on his pins, giving Mr Swinney what for: ‘Why is his constitutional obsession more important than fixing Scotland’s broken public services?’
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obsession → give → services
This is where the Tories lose me, all this get-on-with-the-day-job stuff.
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Tories → lose → job
The SNP exists for one reason and one reason alone: to smash up the United Kingdom and turn Scotland into Brigadoon.
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SNP → exist → Brigadoon
Admittedly, in recent years, that vision has evolved slightly.
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vision → evolve → years
Now they want Brigadoon to fly the Pride Progress flag and run an economy on windmills and the industrial theories of East Germany circa 1972.
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Brigadoon → want → 1972
Russell Findley riled John Swinney at FMQs
This is them getting on with the day job, and it appeals to enough voters to have kept them in power for 19 years.
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it → rile → years
At some point, and two decades should have been plenty long enough, the Tories and Labour will have to reckon with the fact that this devolution experiment has handed one government after another power without responsibility.
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experiment → have → responsibility
The SNP won’t be the last mob to take advantage of that.
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SNP → take → that
Mr Findlay landed a fair few blows but Mr Swinney swung back by taunting him about a supposedly imminent merger, what he branded a ‘marriage of convenience over there between the Conservative Party and Reform’.
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he → land → Party
At which point, the Scottish Tory leader rammed his fingers down his throat as though about to vomit.
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leader → ram → throat
I believe the Earl of Liverpool made a similar philosophical point during a debate on the Corn Laws.
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Earl → believe → Laws
By now Stephen Kerr was hollering at Mr Swinney: ‘Answer the question! Answer the question!’
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Kerr → holler → question
The Presiding Officer had a word.
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Officer → have → word
Mr Kerr doesn’t need a word, he needs a sedative.
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he → need → sedative
The Aporia
