Swinney expected to announce candidacy for prime minister

May 2, 2024 Vaseline stjohnson 0

  • Author, craig williams
  • Role, BBC Scotland News

John Swinney is expected to launch his campaign to later become SNP leader and Prime Minister.

The MSP, who spent 16 years in senior roles in the Scottish Government until last year, has already won the backing of many party colleagues.

It is not yet clear whether he will face competition for the role from former finance secretary Kate Forbes.

The two were confirmed to have met on Tuesday, sparking speculation that a deal could be reached to avoid a leadership contest.

Swinney, 60, will hold a press conference at Grassmarket in Edinburgh on Thursday morning, at which he is expected to confirm his bid to replace Humza Yousaf.

Yousaf announced his resignation on Monday, although he will remain in office until his successor is chosen.

So far, only Swinney and Forbes have indicated that they are considering running to lead their party and seek election as prime minister.

If a second round is held between them, a vote by SNP members will be required. Party officials have confirmed that nominations will close at midday on May 27.

The Perthshire North MSP, who served as Nicola Sturgeon’s deputy for almost nine years, announced on Wednesday night that he was preparing to make a statement over speculation he would run for the leadership.

Swinney was also leader of the SNP between 2000 and 2004, and resigned after a poor result in the European elections.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Swinney said he was “thinking a lot” about the idea of ​​running for the leadership.

Senior members of the party, including Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, Health Secretary Neil Gray and Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth, have already said they would support Swinney if he decides to stand for election.

Screenshot, Forbes has not yet announced his candidacy

Former finance secretary Kate Forbes, 34, has yet to confirm whether or not she will make a similar statement about the future leadership of the SNP.

The Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP narrowly lost to Yousaf in the SNP leadership election last year.

She was criticized during the campaign for revealing that she would have voted against same-sex marriage legislation if she had been an MSP at the time due to her religious beliefs as a member of the Free Church of Scotland.

At the time, Swinney, also a Christian, questioned whether it would be “appropriate” for someone with those views to become leader of the SNP.

Several senior members of the party have backed her, including those who routinely disagree with the SNP leadership, such as Joanna Cherry and Fergus Ewing.

Speaking to BBC Scotland on Wednesday, Ewing urged Swinney to retract those comments.

Nominations for the SNP leadership opened on Monday and close at midday a week later.

If more than one candidate receives 100 nominations from at least 20 local branches of the party, a vote will be held among members to elect a new leader.

Yousaf has said he will resign as prime minister once a new leader is elected. At that point, parliament will have 28 days to appoint a new prime minister who will be appointed by the King.

If MSPs cannot reach an agreement after 28 days, an early election would be called.