‘Honest’ John’s second stitch-up
Swinney saw off Forbes in first shady deal, now he steers rebel away before taking SNP crown
JOHN Swinney’s coronation as SNP leader is set to go ahead today after he saw off a last-ditch challenge.
Graeme McCormick had looked on course to secure enough support to force a formal leadership contest.
But he agreed to not seek nomination late last night following talks with Mr Swinney.
Critics will see the last-ditch deal as another ‘stitch-up’ to ensure the SNP avoids another divisive and expensive leadership battle.
Last week, Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said former Finance Secretary Kate Forbes had ‘caved into SNP demands for a stitch-up to install John Swinney as leader and spare the party the bloodbath of another leadership contest’.
Candidates only need the backing of 100 members from 20 different branches to stand for leader.
Mr McCormick, a member of the party’s Helensburgh branch, has never been an elected politician and used a speech at the SNP’s annual conference last autumn to describe its approach to independence as ‘flatulence in a trance’.
He also told the conference the SNP should ‘adopt a fully treasonous attitude towards Westminster’.
In a statement last night, Mr McCormick said he had met the threshold to stand but confirmed he would now not seek nomination following a ‘lengthy and fruitful conversation’ with Mr Swinney.
He said: ‘John and I agreed the challenges which the SNP, our Government and our people face, and explored new thinking on a range of issues which I am confident, as they are advanced, will inspire activists both within the SNP and wider independence movement in the following weeks and months.
‘This is a fresh start for our members and our politicians, and I’m sure that John’s determination to deliver independence will be rewarded at the forthcoming General Election.
‘I have therefore concluded that I shall not proceed with my nomination for Party Leader but instead support John Swinney’s nomination for Party Leader and First Minister of Scotland.’
Earlier yesterday, Mr Swinney issued an appeal to let him get on with the job rather than causing a delay with a challenge.
He told Sunday with Trevor Phillips on Sky News: ‘I think the SNP has got a chance to start rebuilding from the difficult period that we have had, under my leadership, and bluntly I’d just like to get on with that as quickly as I possibly can do.
‘Because every day that we spend in an internal contest, which I think we all probably know the outcome of, we delay the possibility for the SNP to start its rebuilding.’
He said his leadership bid had received ‘very, very comprehensive support’, including from Kate Forbes, who earlier ruled herself out of the contest. If he runs unopposed, he will become the next SNP leader today and will likely become First Minister in the coming days after a Holyrood vote.
Mr Swinney, who previously led his party from 2000 to 2004, faced a challenge from an activist in 2003 but ultimately won with 83.9 per cent of the vote.
Speaking on BBC Scotland’s the Sunday Show, he said he would respect the ‘democratic process’ if there was a contest but added: ‘I think it would be better if we just got on with things, that we started the rebuilding of the SNP and its political strength.’
He added he thought the ‘overwhelming majority’ of party members ‘wanted to get on with it’.
Mr McCormick had been contacting a series of pro-independence websites to try to gather nominations, and was also reportedly seeking support at an All Under One Banner rally in Glasgow at the weekend.
One message he sent to pro-independence activists on Thursday last week said: ‘From a standing start yesterday I already have 40 nominations and others on the way.
‘I reckon I’ve just about cleared the 20 branch threshold but will not take anything for granted.’
Lloyd Quinan, who was an SNP MSP from 1999-2003, had also been appealing to activists to support Mr McCormick. Speaking on the Through A Scottish Prism online podcast, he said: ‘The only possibility of saving the party at this stage would be for someone else to become the leader of the party, not John Swinney. John made a terrible job the last time.’
He also accused Mr Swinney of being part of a ‘vicious and brutal marginalisation’ of former SNP MSP Margo MacDonald, which led to her becoming an independent MSP. He said: ‘John is a desperately, desperately weak man and his only way that he can show what he believes is strength is by the total marginalisation of anyone who doesn’t think like John.
‘John is a direct product of the Standard Life management training organisations. He believes that when you have status everyone else should bow to it, he never ever believes there is a requirement to win respect.
‘John thinks when you get a title respect comes with it and that is the sign of a desperately, desperately weak individual.’
The SNP yesterday declined to confirm how many valid nominations have been received ahead of the close of nominations at noon today.
‘Treasonous attitude towards Westminster’