SNP leadership contest: John Swinney announces bid for office after Yousaf resignation
John Swinney looks almost certain to replace Humza Yousaf as leader of the Scottish National Party as Kate Forbes ruled herself out, ITV News' Scotland Reporter Louise Scott has more
John Swinney has become the first candidate to announce he will run to succeed Humza Yousaf as SNP leader and first minister.
If successful it will be the second time Mr Swinney, who was deputy first minister for more than eight years under Nicola Sturgeon, has led his party, having held the post between 2000 and 2004.
Speaking to a crowd at Grassmarket Community Project in Edinburgh on Thursday, Mr Swinney is “not a caretaker” and he will not be an “interim leader” should he become the next first minister.
“I am offering to lead my party through the Westminster elections, to lead us beyond the 2026 elections, to contest, which I intend to win for the SNP and for Scotland," he added.
Of his party, he said it is “not cohesive right now, we are not together” but added it can be a “formidable force for good” if it “gets its act together”.
Former Holyrood finance secretary Kate Forbes - who has also been touted as a successor to Mr Yousaf following his resignation on Monday - has said she will not run for leader.
Mr Yousaf's resignation triggered an SNP leadership contest, but Mr Yousaf confirmed he will continue to serve in office in the interim until a suitable replacement is found.
Mr Swinney is currently the only candidate to put in a bid for leadership, but who is he and can he unite the party?
Who is John Swinney?
Mr Swinney has been an MSP since the Scottish Parliament’s inception in 1999, serving North Tayside, and previously representing the same constituency at Westminster in 1997.
Mr Swinney led his party in Holyrood between 2000 and 2004 during the SNP’s time on the opposition benches.
He has held a raft of cabinet positions, including education and finance and resigned at the same time as Ms Sturgeon.
He ruled himself out of the 2023 leadership race, stating he had to put his young family first.
Could he unite the party?
The SNP was thrown into disarray last Thursday when Mr Yousaf ended the powersharing deal between the party and the Scottish Greens.
After a week of in-fighting over climate policies, the coalition collapsed and left the SNP to fend as a minority government.
Days later, Mr Yousaf resigned and the SNP was launched into another leadership battle, just 14 months after the last.
Mr Swinney is widely considered as a unity candidate for the party.
As Scotland's longest-serving deputy first minister, he has received the backing from several senior party members, including Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, Scotland’s Health Secretary Neil Gray and Scotland’s Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth.
Who is Kate Forbes and will she run in the election?
Kate Forbes was pegged as a frontrunner in the contest after losing out narrowly to Mr Yousaf in the SNP leadership election last year.
Earlier this week she said she was weighing up another run at the top job but has since confirmed she will not contest Mr Swinney.
The Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP narrowly lost to Mr Yousaf in the SNP leadership election last year.
Several senior party members backed her for a rerun at the top job, including those regularly at odds with the SNP leadership such as Joanna Cherry and Fergus Ewing.
Despite not taking on Mr Swinney, Ms Forbes hinted at her desire to accept Mr Swinney’s offer to return to government, should he take on the top job.
In her statement released on Thursday, she said: “Ultimately, I have concluded that the best way to deliver the urgent change Scotland needs is to join with John Swinney and advocate for that reform agenda within the Scottish government.”
Announcing the launch of his campaign, Mr Swinney praised his former cabinet colleague as “intelligent, creative, thoughtful person who has much to contribute” to public life.
Promising she would play a “significant part” in his team, he added: “If elected I will make sure Kate is able to make that contribution.”
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