New book reveals Swinney was told to ‘be ready’ to step up

John Swinney was told to “be ready” to replace Nicola Sturgeon while the first minister awaited the verdict of the Alex Salmond inquiries, it has emerged.

The deputy first minister, who is the Perthshire North MSP and led the SNP between 2000 and 2004, was considered by Ms Sturgeon to be the most suitable candidate to succeed her if she had to resign just a few weeks before the election.

The contingency plans have been revealed in a new book, “Break-Up: How Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon Went To War”, by David Clegg and Kieran Andrews, with extracts appearing in The Sunday Times.

The newspaper reported that, as Ms Sturgeon awaited the verdict of an independent inquiry into her conduct by the QC James Hamilton in March, a number of senior SNP figures discussed putting their names forward to succeed her if she had to resign. Cabinet secretaries Kate Forbes and Humza Yousaf, along with Westminster leader Ian Blackford, were also said to be in the frame.

Ms Sturgeon signalled at the time she would not have remained in post if the Hamilton inquiry found that she had breached the standards expected of ministers over her knowledge of a Scottish Government investigation into Mr Salmond’s conduct.

At the same time as the Hamilton investigation, a committee of MSPs was investigating the Scottish Government’s botched handling of harassment allegations against Mr Salmond.

It was established after the former SNP leader received a £512,000 payout following the Court of Session civil ruling that the Scottish Government process had been “unlawful” and “tainted by apparent bias”.

Mr Salmond, who had rejected allegations of wrongdoing, was cleared of 13 charges, including sexual assault, indecent assault and attempted rape, following a trial last year.

The new book reveals that Ms Sturgeon, Mr Swinney and some of their closest aides stayed up after midnight on the day the Hamilton report was being published to find out its conclusion.

There was said to be an air of crisis after it had emerged that the separate Holyrood committee inquiry had found that Ms Sturgeon had misled Parliament.

“During that period of limbo, Sturgeon was taking counsel with her closest allies,” the book says. “These included Swinney, whom she told to ‘Be ready’ for what might come at the start of the week.

In March, Mr Hamilton’s inquiry report cleared Ms Sturgeon of breaching the ministerial code.

John Swinney: Lined up to replace Nicola Sturgeon.