Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, has admitted he “feared for the survival of the SNP” during the final days of Humza Yousaf’s government, as internal turmoil threatened to destabilise the party.
Mr Yousaf, who had been in office for just over a year, was forced to step down after facing two separate votes of no confidence—one in his leadership and another in the government he led. The crisis was triggered by his decision to terminate the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens, which had provided the SNP with a governing majority.
The agreement’s collapse led to the sacking of Green co-leaders Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie, but rather than strengthening his position, it set off a chain of events that culminated in Mr Yousaf’s resignation. His departure paved the way for Mr Swinney, who was elected unopposed as SNP leader, marking his return to frontline politics after a brief hiatus.
A critical period for the SNP
Speaking on The Ponsonby And Massie Podcast, released on Saturday, Mr Swinney reflected on the turbulence of the period, admitting that the party’s future had seemed uncertain.
“If I go back to that period, which was really, really difficult,” he said, “I feared for the stability of the government, I feared actually for the survival of the SNP, to be honest, because I thought things were in such a bad place.”
However, despite his initial concerns, Mr Swinney pointed to the recent cross-party cooperation as evidence of a turnaround. “Nobody would have given any prospect that within nine months we’d have members of the Green Party voting for our budget, as well as members of the Liberal Democrats voting for the budget,” he noted, suggesting that the SNP’s position had stabilised under his leadership.
SNP’s electoral collapse
Mr Swinney’s tenure as first minister began amid one of the most challenging electoral periods in the SNP’s history. Within weeks of taking office, he was thrust into a general election campaign called by then-prime minister Rishi Sunak. With the party already on shaky ground, the election results were disastrous for the SNP.
In 2019, the party had held 48 seats, securing a dominant position in Scottish politics. However, in the 2024 general election, that number plummeted to just nine, marking the end of the SNP’s political dominance since 2007. The scale of the defeat was a stark reflection of the party’s struggles, leaving Mr Swinney with the difficult task of rebuilding both trust and support.
The decision to step forward
During the podcast, Mr Swinney also spoke candidly about the period between Mr Yousaf’s resignation and his decision to run for SNP leader. Having served as Nicola Sturgeon’s deputy first minister for nine years, he had stepped away from frontline politics, but the urgency of the moment prompted him to reconsider.
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He recalled receiving a significant phone call on the morning of Mr Yousaf’s resignation. “I got a phone call from one of my colleagues, someone very precious to me,” he said. “They phoned me up that morning and said, ‘I hate to make this phone call to you, but I can’t live with myself if I don’t make it,’ and suggested that I should stand.”
Mr Swinney admitted that he had already been contemplating the decision but was moved by the response of his colleague. “I said, ‘Well, I’m thinking about it,’ and they burst into tears and said to me, ‘At the very prospect that you’re even contemplating this, I’m weeping.’”
A future of uncertainty
Despite the ongoing challenges, Mr Swinney has sought to steady the party, prioritising unity and political recovery. However, with the SNP’s influence in Westminster significantly diminished and internal tensions still lingering, the road ahead remains uncertain.
For Mr Swinney, the key question is whether the party can regain public trust and rebuild its electoral strength. While he has managed to restore some degree of stability, the SNP faces an uphill battle in reclaiming its former position as Scotland’s dominant political force.
