John Swinney has survived a no-confidence vote in the Scottish Parliament over the exams controversy, but critics accuse him of a passive role in the debacle. The Scottish education secretary faced a Labour motion of no confidence, which was defeated 67 to 58 after the Scottish Green Party sided with the SNP.
The Greens demanded a complete U-turn on exam results in exchange for their support. Mr Swinney conceded to all their demands, cancelling 125,000 downgrades, allowing upgraded students to keep their awards, ordering an independent review, and promising a wider assessment of pupil performance.
Opponents point to a series of failures during Mr Swinney's tenure, including dropping education reform legislation, ordering a curriculum review, and overturning plans for a part-time return to school after lockdown. Despite this, he retains the confidence of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who relies on him as a close ally and deputy.
The opposition is concerned by opinion polls showing strong support for the SNP and Ms Sturgeon's leadership during the pandemic. One Labour veteran expressed being 'flabbergasted' that the SNP seems to defy political gravity despite being in government for 13 years.
Ms Sturgeon faces dissent within the SNP over her approach to indyref2 and her rift with Alex Salmond. She has stated she has nothing to fear from the forthcoming inquiry and that there will be an explicit commitment to another referendum in the 2021 manifesto.
