NEWLY installed SNP First Minister John Swinney has claimed Scotland could be independent in five years.

Mr Swinney, who today deleted the post of minister for independence, made the assertion in an interview with Sky News in his official residence at Edinburgh’s Bute House. 

Despite there being no legal avenue open to enable holding another referendum on the matter in the near future, he assured supporters: “I think independence can be delivered in that timescale because the arguments for it are compelling.

“If we look at two of the biggest issues we face as a country in Scotland: the effect of the cost of living and the implications of Brexit.

“Both of those major strategic factors that are doing severe economic and social damage to Scotland are because of bad decisions taken in Westminster and independence is the answer to that.”

Mr Swinney nonetheless accepted that support for the move had some way to go.

He added: “We have got work to do to build greater support for independence, to make that support level compelling within Scotland, and that’s what my leadership will be about.”

After being challenged today by former coalition partners in the Scottish Greens over his decision to appoint Kate Forbes, whose views on equal marriage and abortion rights have proven controversial, Mr Swinney once again defended his decision.

He argued: “The protection of the rights of LGBT individuals in our society is absolutely fundamental to my government — the protection of those rights and the enhancement of those rights.”

The UK government said: “We want to work constructively with the Scottish government to tackle our shared challenges because that is what families and businesses in Scotland expect.

“This is not the time to be talking about distracting constitutional change.”