‘HONEST’ JOHN WARNED OVER GREEN DEAL
FM urged to rule out any alliance with eco-zealot former partners
JOHN Swinney was urged to rule out backdoor deals with the Greens and put the independence campaign on the back-burner as he was confirmed as Scotland’s next First Minister.
The new SNP leader was voted in by MSPs as successor to Humza Yousaf, who confirmed his resignation yesterday.
Mr Swinney will lead a minority government and used his first speech in the role to promise to ‘reach out to others’ to get his legislation and Budgets passed.
Opponents said he should abandon plans to step up another independence campaign and rule out informal alliances with the Greens.
Mr Yousaf resigned days after causing a rift with the Greens by ending the Bute House Agreement.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said the SNP under Mr Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon was ‘out of ideas’. He added: ‘John
Swinney must swiftly change course and deliver a bold new policy agenda for this SNP government instead of treading water like his predecessors have done.
‘And it should start by ruling out any agreement, by the backdoor or otherwise, with the Greens. If he wants to lead a government that represents the values of the clear majority of our country, then he cannot be reliant on the Greens for his agenda.
‘The SNP must reach beyond creating a nationalist coalition to compromise and find consensus with the whole parliament. Key to delivering that would be to put campaigning for independence on the back-burner.’
Mr Swinney won the backing of 64 MSPs yesterday as he was confirmed as the Scottish parliament’s nominee to be the next First Minister. The Scottish Greens abstained. He is expected to be sworn in at the Court of Session today.
In his speech after yesterday’s vote, Mr Swinney acknowledged the need to work with other parties. ‘I recognise that is how it is going to have to work,’ he said. ‘I am leading a minority government, I will need to reach out to others to make things happen.’
He also expressed his ‘eternal gratitude’ to his wife Elizabeth Quigley, who has multiple sclerosis, for ‘the sacrifices she is prepared to make to enable her husband to serve our country as First Minister’.
Mr Swinney accepted his part in creating a ‘polarised’ parliament and admitted it has not been as ‘collaborative’ as it should be.
Voted in as First Minister after he was the only SNP nomination to become party leader on Monday, Mr Swinney was accused of masterminding a ‘stitch-up’ that led to former finance secretary Kate Forbes joining his team rather than standing against him, while party activist Graeme McCormick stood aside.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: ‘The truth is this internal stitch-up has delivered a continuity candidate who does bear responsibility for so much of the instability that we have seen, so let’s not pretend this is day one of a new SNP government.
‘We shouldn’t also forget that John Swinney as Deputy First Minister during the Covid pandemic was also responsible for deleting thousands of records and withholding evidence meant for the Covid Inquiry.’
He added: ‘So yes, we need to see an end to the culture of secrecy and cover-up but I fear the SNP have elected to the highest office one of its champions.’
Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater insisted her party’s support for the Nationalists had been ‘conditional’, adding: ‘If our parties can continue to work towards a shared vision of a fairer, progressive, independent Scotland, which takes its responsibilities to future generations seriously, our door remains open.’
Responding to Mr Swinney’s confirmation as First Minister, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said he hoped he would govern ‘for the whole of Scotland’, adding: ‘He needs to put aside his obsession with independence and concentrate on contributing to a thriving Scotland within a strong United Kingdom.’
Scottish Chambers of Commerce chief executive Liz Cameron said: ‘As First Minister Swinney works to get his team in place, our urgent plea is for a pro-business and pro-economy policy agenda.’