John Swinney expected to lead Scotland after being confirmed as Scottish National Party leader
LONDON (AP) — Scotland’s former deputy first minister, John Swinney, was confirmed Monday as head of the Scottish National Party and is expected to become the country’s next leader, its third in just over a year.
Swinney, who led the SNP two decades ago, was the only candidate to replace First Minister Humza Yousaf as the leader of the party that has been in turmoil since long-serving First Minister Nicola Sturgeon abruptly stepped down last year during a campaign finance investigation that eventually led to criminal charges against her husband.
“I am deeply honored to have been elected as leader of @theSNP,” Swinney said on social media platform X. “I will give all that I have to serve my party and my country.”
Yousaf announced his resignation last week after a political miscalculation in which he booted the Green Party from his coalition government. The SNP is one seat short of a majority in the local parliament with 63 of the 128 voting seats, so it needs to partner with at least one opposition party.