Just days after Scotland’s First Minister Humza Youssef announced his resignation, John Swinney, one of the party’s most experienced politicians, emerged as his likely successor on Thursday after the highest-profile potential challenger withdrew. election.
Swinney, 60, a former leader of Yusuf’s SNP, has presented himself as the unity candidate for the SNP, which has been in crisis since the 1990s. Departed last year Former Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon was once one of Britain’s most popular politicians.
The crisis reached a new level of urgency this week when Youssef ended his coalition agreement with the Scottish Greens, another pro-independence party, and found himself facing two potentially failed confidence votes. on Monday, He said he would resign Once a replacement is selected.
The SNP has spent much of the past year enduring the consequences of a police investigation into its handling of funds raised for future referendum campaigns.
Ms Sturgeon arrested and questioned last year, but has not been charged with any crime. Her husband Peter Murrell, the party’s long-time chief executive, He is accused Last month for corruption.
Mr Swinney is seen as a continuity candidate in the race to succeed Mr Youssef. He previously served as deputy first minister and had the backing of several senior colleagues before formally announcing his candidacy on Thursday.
He received a huge boost hours later when former finance minister Kate Forbes, seen as his main rival, announced she would not run for the leadership and would instead back Mr Swinney.
While more candidates may come forward before Monday’s deadline, it’s unlikely anyone will challenge Swinney given that he now has the backing of Ms. Forbes and other senior figures.
In a statement posted on social media, Ms Forbes said she had held talks with Mr Swinney, who was “determined to return the SNP to mainstream governance” and that, for her, “realizing the Scottish nation” The best way to achieve the party’s goals is”. The change Scotland desperately needs is the addition of John Swinney. “
Ms. Forbes finished runner-up Last year’s race to succeed Ms SturgeonBut her socially conservative Christian views — including her opposition to same-sex marriage — have come under attack from some in her party’s progressive wing.
Although the SNP has the most seats in the Scottish Parliament, it does not hold an outright majority, so Yusuf’s successor will try to lead a minority government.
On Thursday, Mr Swinney said Ms Forbes was expected to get a senior role under his leadership. “I would be delighted to work with Kate Forbes,” he said in a press release. “I want to have a place on the team for Kate.”
Swinney’s critics describe him as a political backslider, saying he resigned after poor election results when he last served as party leader from 2000 to 2004. His supporters counter that he is slightly younger than Keir Starmer, leader of Britain’s main opposition Labor Party and the SNP’s main rival in Scotland.
On Thursday, Swinney rejected accusations that he would be a stopgap leader, saying he would be neither an “interim leader” nor a political caretaker.
“I have a pretty good electoral record,” he told a news conference. “I am Scotland’s longest-serving MP. I have won every election since 1997 where my name has been on the ballot paper.”
Political opponents were unmoved. Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said Ms Forbes had “given in to the SNP’s searing demands” to avoid “another bloody leadership battle”.
