John Swinney has been appointed as Scotland’s new First Minister, the day after he took over as leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP).
Tuesday 7 May at 17:56
The short version
- John Swinney has been appointed as the new First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP)
- Takes over from Humza Yousaf, who resigned after the collaboration with the Green party collapsed
- Scotland has challenging domestic politics, and former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon is involved in a corruption scandal
View more
Swinney takes over the leadership role from Humza Yousaf, who resigned last week after just over a year as Scotland’s First Minister and leader of the party.
Yousaf resigned after the government collaboration between the SNP and the Greens fell apart. The Scottish Government nevertheless survived the motion of no confidence raised against them.
Also read: Scotland’s First Minister leaves
Swinney takes over a difficult political legacy. Former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, who led the party for eight years, is involved in a corruption scandal, and the domestic political landscape in Scotland is very demanding.
The SNP leads a minority government in the Scottish Parliament. Thus, Swinney will need the support of another party to form a governing coalition or to pass legislation.
The problems in the SNP have given opposition Labor, which for the first time in more than a decade is ahead or level with the SNP in polls, hope that it can take back Scottish constituencies and win a majority in Parliament in the UK election later this year.
