SNP wants to avoid ‘bruising’ leadership contest and Swinney trusted – McAllan

SNP members do not want to see a repeat of last year’s “bruising” leadership contest, a senior Scottish Government minister has said.

Former deputy first minister John Swinney looks set to run unopposed to replace Humza Yousaf as SNP leader and first minister after Kate Forbes, an ex-finance secretary, ruled herself out of the contest.

Nominations will not close until Monday, but so far likely candidates to run against Mr Swinney have ruled themselves out.

There is a sense within the party that the last contest was a particularly bruising one and... many of us would not wish to see that repeated

Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan, who introduced Mr Swinney at his campaign launch in Edinburgh on Thursday, said the Perthshire North MSP is the “right man” to unite the party.

It follows a tough week for the SNP at Holyrood, which began when Mr Yousaf abruptly ended the powersharing Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens and saw the fallout force him to resign after 13 months as First Minister.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme on Friday, Ms McAllan said: “There is a sense within the party that the last contest was a particularly bruising one, and I think there is absolutely a sense among members and activists that many of us would not wish to see that repeated.

“I think what the biggest deciding factor has been so far is the stature of John Swinney as somebody who has come forward.

“He is well loved and respected within our party, and I think, most importantly actually, he commands the trust and confidence of the people of Scotland, which we in the SNP know is exactly what is needed right now.”

The 2023 party leadership contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon saw Mr Yousaf, Ms Forbes and Ash Regan fight for the top job.

The contest saw the candidates take aim at each other’s record in government and their views on social issues.

Ms McAllan also rejected claims that Mr Swinney is “yesterday’s man”. He previously led the SNP from 2000 to 2004, stepping down after a string of poor election results.

He served as Ms Sturgeon’s deputy for more than eight years, while also holding some of the biggest cabinet positions of education and finance.

Ms McAllan told the broadcaster: “John was very clear, the SNP has admittedly been having a difficult period. He is the right man for the moment to unite our party.”

She dismissed claims the Scottish independence movement has hit the rocks.

“Independence is not dead for a generation,” she said.

“We are at a situation in Scotland where half the population, give or take between polls, supports independence for our nation.”

But she said she recognises the party has “work to do” to understand the barriers facing those who are still not convinced by independence.

Meanwhile, Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay told the programme her party is likely to work with the next first minister on an “issue by issue basis”.

She said a new Bute House Agreement is “very, very unlikely”, adding: “I think the likelihood is that we will be engaging on an issue by issue basis with whoever it is that is in the first minister’s seat in the coming weeks.”

Ms Mackay said her party will want assurances that the Scottish Government will “recommit” to some of the policies which were in the works through the powersharing deal, including rent controls and progressive climate policy.

She also said the Greens have “not taken any decision” on how the party will vote when the decision to select a new first minister is put to Holyrood.