John Swinney becomes new First Minister of Scotland after winning Holyrood vote

JOHN Swinney has become Scotland’s new First Minister after winning a vote at Holyrood.

Mr Swinney won the backing of 64 MSPs, with his nearest rival Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross picking up 31.

It comes just eight days after predecessor Humza Yousaf announced he was stepping down after his decision to terminate the powersharing agreement the SNP had with the Scottish Greens at Holyrood left him facing a vote of no confidence in his leadership.

Mr Yousaf formally tendered his resignation to the King earlier on Tuesday.

Mr Swinney is currently the First Minister-designate and will be officially appointed this afternoon with a Royal Warrant from The King.

He will be officially sworn in at the Court of Session tomorrow and take the Official Oath in front of the Lord President of the Court of Session and other senior judges. 

John Swinney said: “It is an extraordinary privilege and it is my honour to accept the office of First Minister, committing myself to do the best I can for Scotland.

“I will be unapologetic about bringing to this Parliament the measures we can take to eradicate child poverty and I look forward to seeking the support of others to achieve that aim.

“I recognise, that is how it is going to have to work. I am leading a minority Government. I will need to reach out to others to make things happen.

“If we want to fund our schools and our hospitals, if we want to give our businesses a competitive edge, if we want to take climate action, if we want to eradicate child poverty, if we want to change people’s lives for the better, we have to work together to do so.

“I commit my Government to working to create that agreement across the Chamber. I hope there is the space and the willingness for that to happen in the interests of the people who sent us here.

“To the people of Scotland I would simply say this. I offer myself to be the First Minister for everyone in Scotland. I am here to serve you. I will give everything I have to build the best future for our country.”

Ex-First Minister and former SNP chief Nicola Sturgeon congratulated the new FM.

She posted to X: “I have worked closely with John Swinney for more than 30 years.

“He was by my side throughout my time as FM – as deputy, friend and confidante.

“He is one of the kindest and most decent people I know – and without doubt, the right person to be FM in this moment, for both party and country.

“Aside from his family, I doubt there is anyone in Scotland prouder of John today than I am. I wish him all the luck in the world.”

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said in Parliament: “I know that the First Minister, given his long career in cabinet, will be acutely aware of that burden and that the decision to take up that role will not have been as easy one for him.

“And so, I wish him well in taking on that burden. I also want to say how rightly proud his family must be today.

“We all know the strain elected office has on our families but that is magnified ten-fold, when the politician holds the office of First Minister.

“So on behalf of the Scottish Conservatives, we offer strength and support to the entire Swinney family as they provide the personal backing that will be so important to our First Minister.

“I hope that he will lead a government not for just one side of the constitutional argument but for all of Scotland.

“Because a government acting in the national interests is what the Scottish people deserve.

“Yet it is what the SNP have failed to deliver for the last three years.

“The legislative achievements of this session are few and far between and that looks unlikely to change.

“Instead, we saw an SNP Government, having ran out of its own ideas, increasingly look for policy direction from the extreme Greens.

“While continuing to push the same old, tired campaign for independence and a referendum.

“John Swinney must swiftly change course and deliver a bold new policy agenda for this SNP Government instead of treading water like his predecessors have done.”