RUSHES: General Election 2024: John Swinney press conference following results

General Election 2024: John Swinney press conference following results; Part 6 of 7 SCOTLAND: Port of Leith: INT John Swinney MSP (SNP Leader) answering press questions SOT Q: (Tom Gordon - The Herald) DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF AN ELECTORAL ASSET FOR THE SNP / YOU'VE BEEN IN CHARGE FIRST TIME AROUND AND THIS TIME AROUND THROUGH FOUR ELECTIONS AND THE PARTY HAS GONE BACKWARDS EVERY TIME, IN WHAT WAY ARE YOU AN ELECTORAL ASSET - Well Tom, the last time I counted I'd won seven elections in a row as a parliamentary candidate, so that's not bad going- Q: THE PARTY AS A WHOLE - If that's where you want to go today, then fine, I'm simply saying to you I've got seven election victories under my belt as a parliamentary candidate / I've been asked by my party to lead it in difficult circumstances Q: ON INDEPENDENCE, WHAT WILL CHANGE, BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR PLAN IS SIMPLY TO BANG ON ABOUT IT IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY - What I said is we are committed to listening to and learning from the electorate / we've got to engage in open dialogue with the public to establish how we can strengthen the arguments and make them more compelling, as compelling as they are to me and to make them compelling to the public as part of that open dialogue Q: (Dan Summers) SUCCESSIVE SNP LEADERS HAVE SUGGESTED TO THE PARTY THAT INDEPENDENCE IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER / IF IT COMES TO IT WILL YOU BE WILLING TO TELL SOME HARD TRUTHS TO YOUR PARTY AND EXPLAIN TO THEM INDEPENDENCE IS A LONGER TERM ASPIRATION - It's not the way I would characterise it / I've got an open candid relationship with my party / the arguments I've set out this morning are about making sure we're able to take people with us on the question of independence / we need to reflect on and understand the fact there was a greater priority attached to removing a Conservative government / we have to increase the urgency of that message Q: ISN'T AN ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATION OF THAT THAT PEOPLE JUST DON'T SEE INDE...