By Bill Heaney
John Swinney is the new leader of the Scottish National Party after nominations in the party leadership contest closed at midday today (Monday).
Swinney was the only candidate after First Minister Humza Yousaf announced last week that he would resign as SNP leader.
He is expected to become Scotland’s next first minister in the coming days.
Swinney says he is “deeply honoured” and that he “will give all that I have to serve my party and my country”.
Loch Lomondside resident Graeme McCormick, pictured left, had been gathering support from local party branches and claimed to have the necessary backing to trigger a contest.
But following what retired solicitor McCormick called a “lengthy and fruitful conversation” with Swinney, he decided to back the former deputy first minister for the job.
“That’s something he’ll need in spades if he’s to run a minority government.
“Swinney only launched his bid on Thursday and within four hours he’d sewn up the contest, when Kate Forbes gave him her backing.
“He’d dangled a juicy carrot to tempt her – a senior Cabinet role, and an assurance they share the same agenda.
“But some SNP activists wanted a contest, not a coronation.”
Veteran campaigner Graeme McCormick, who lives at Arden, near Duck Bay, and is a member of the SNP’s Dumbarton constituency party, had rustled up enough supporters to force a leadership contest.
That threatened to delay the leadership result but Swinney soon put an end to that challenge.
After talks between the pair, McCormick declared his backing for Swinney.
Henderson wrote on the BBC Scotland website: “So a pattern’s emerging – with Swinney doing deals right, left and centre. Who can he bring round next?
“Once he’s FM, he’ll need the support of the Greens to pass new laws and budgets. Expect informal discussions with them to begin soon.
“And other small parties – the Lib-Dems’ Alex Cole-Hamilton and Alba’s Ash Regan – will be eyeing a chance to trade their votes for influence, issue by issue.”
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “I congratulate John Swinney on becoming SNP leader for a second time. We urge him to govern for all of Scotland by abandoning his relentless push for independence – but, judging by his leadership launch slogan, that looks a forlorn hope.
“As the main opposition party, we will hold John Swinney to account when he lets the Scottish people down – just as we’ve done with Humza Yousaf.
“It’s difficult to see how he can be the fresh start Scotland needs, when he’s the ultimate continuity candidate. John Swinney was joined at the hip with the disgraced Nicola Sturgeon and his fingerprints are all over her numerous policy failures and cover-ups.
“The stitch-up the SNP have engineered to ensure John Swinney’s coronation highlights the mess they’re in. Is a failed former leader from two decades ago – who, as education secretary, sent Scotland plummeting down international league tables – really the best they have to offer?
“With John Swinney at the helm, the SNP will double down on their independence obsession – the one issue they agree on – and ignore the real priorities of the Scottish people, such as fixing our ailing public services and growing the economy.
“Voters know that in key seats across Scotland, only the Scottish Conservatives can beat the SNP and get the focus back on to the issues that really matter.”
Responding to the news that John Swinney has been elected SNP leader unopposed, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:
“It’s hardly a good look for senior SNP parliamentarians to have to beg a party activist to step aside and allow a coronation because of the expense of a leadership election. John Swinney will now take the top role without any discussion of his preferred policies at all aside from breaking up the UK.
“As his party’s leader and a former wingman to both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, John Swinney is now answerable for the SNP’s appalling neglect of public services over the past 17 years.
“He should immediately announce a plan for cutting NHS waiting lists and stopping sewage flowing into our rivers and if he can’t do that he should announce an election.”
LibDem leader Alex Cole Hamilton, Alba MSP Ash Regan and Tory leader Douglas Ross.
Unlike Henderson though, I cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel as the SNP struggle to find their way out of the crisis Sturgeon and Yousaf have landed them in.
My view is that we could see a Holyrood election even before the General Election which will take place later this year and the SNP will have to find a candidate, most probably someone from the basket case West Dunbartonshire Council SNP Group, to stand against the formidable Labour Dame Jackie Baillie.
Dame Jackie will not have her sorrows to seek if this transpires since the council’s anti-democratic Labour Group are an uninspiring lot who have failed to win over the voters in their time in office so far.
We live in interesting times …
Top picture shows First Minister John Swinney with West Dunbartonshire supporters Margaret McGregor, Martin Docherty Hughes MP, Gil Paterson and others.