Actor Brian Cox has said he is “worried” that the SNP will not make securing an independence referendum a clear goal of the General Election.
The 78-year-old Succession star has been very vocal about his support for Scotland breaking off from the UK and in his criticism of Brexit.
Asked on BBC One’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg about the political parties’ manifestos, the Dundee-born actor said the SNP “could be backing away from the notion of independence” ahead of it announcing its election pledges.
However, SNP leader John Swinney has said that independence will "proudly sit on page one, line one" of his party's General Election manifesto when it is launched this week.
Speaking ahead of the launch, expected on Wednesay, the First Minister said the manifesto would offer people in Scotland a "real vision of hope", in contrast to the "continuing despair" being offered by Westminster.
Mr Cox said: “I don’t know if Scotland (has) backed off, but I think that it’s something that worries me, because I still… believe in independence.”
Cox said he believes that if Scotland was independent it should be “part of these islands” and co-operative with the rest of the UK.
He added: “I do believe we need a new kind system.
“I don’t believe in the United Kingdom – I believe that we should have a sort of united federation with these islands, that each… country should be independent, but come together to support the whole, instead of things being dictated, as we find in Scotland (things are done) on our behalf, that we have very little say.”
He referred to the referendum in which Scotland voted to stay in Europe while the majority of the UK voted to leave.