Several stops along the road to becoming first minister

BECOMING the new leader of the SNP does not mean John Swinney will automatically become Scotland’s next first minister.

For that to happen, the former deputy first minister has to face a vote in the Scottish Parliament, where he will need to win the support of MSPs.

It is likely other party leaders will put themselves forward for the ballot, though it is in reality unlikely they would be successful.

However, for Swinney to win the vote – which could take place as early as today – he will need some MSPs from opposition parties to either back him in the vote or abstain.

This is because without the powersharing deal with the Scottish Greens, ended abruptly by Humza

Yousaf, the SNP is short of an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament.

The support of Scottish Greens therefore could still be crucial going forward, in this vote and in others to come at Holyrood.

Assuming he wins the vote, Swinney will then become the Scottish Parliament’s nominated candidate to be the country’s seventh first minister.

After that he would be formally appointed via a royal warrant, a legal document authorised by the King.

Following that he would officially be sworn in at the Court of Session in Edinburgh by the Lord President, Scotland’s most senior judge.

That could happen on Thursday morning, with Swinney then potentially taking First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood for the first time at noon the same day. He will also have to appoint his ministerial team of cabinet secretaries and junior ministers, with much attention on what position will go to Kate Forbes.

The former finance secretary had been tipped as a possible challenger to Swinney for the SNP leadership, but announced last Thursday she would not stand and would instead back the former deputy first minister in his bid for the top job.

In announcing his candidacy, Swinney sought to praise Forbes, who last year ran Yousaf a close second in the contest to succeed Nicola Sturgeon.

Giving Forbes a senior post in his cabinet team would be seen as a move by Swinney towards restoring unity within the different factions of the SNP.