First Minister John Swinney faced a bruising session at Holyrood this week, with his integrity and his government's policies coming under sustained fire from both opposition leaders and his own backbenches.
Tory Leader Attacks SNP's "Arithmetical Balderdash"
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay set the tone, weaving a theme of integrity through his questioning. He first challenged Swinney on the Angela Constance saga before turning to the SNP's contentious claim that most taxpayers pay less in Scotland than they would elsewhere in the UK.
"John Swinney often talks about integrity, yet his party and his government have none," Findlay stated bluntly. He dismissed the First Minister's taxation assertion as "arithmetical balderdash", accusing ministers of peddling it in the hope voters would be gullible enough to believe it.
Swinney retorted that he had "set the highest tests for accountability and scrutiny", a remark which critics noted was at odds with the deletion of Covid-era messages. The Tory leader proposed cutting taxes by tackling the "out-of-control benefits bill", a suggestion which provoked Swinney to accuse Findlay of not caring about child poverty.
NHS Crisis and Internal SNP Rebellion
Labour's Anas Sarwar shifted focus to the NHS, highlighting the ongoing delayed discharge crisis. He blamed Swinney for 720,000 missed bed days last year, citing a lack of grip, accountability, and oversight from the Scottish Government. "All of which has human consequences," Sarwar added.
Swinney hit back, claiming Sarwar "simply makes it up as he goes along", and taunted him over internal Labour ructions, referencing Sarwar's past description of some Labour MPs as "idiotic".
However, the most striking challenge came from within the SNP's own ranks. Backbencher Michelle Thomson, emerging as a fiercely independent voice, confronted the First Minister on a report alleging secret legal manoeuvres to undermine a Supreme Court gender recognition judgment.
Thomson reminded Swinney of his "multiple statements in this chamber that they fully accept the Supreme Court ruling", declaring "I am confused", and demanding he reconcile his government's actions with his words.
A Chilly Response and Political Fallout
Swinney's response was notably frosty, stating the government was "taking forward the steps to ensure that we have the correct guidance arrangements in place". Observers noted his answer conspicuously lacked a firm undertaking to respect the court's judgment.
Thomson's public defiance is unlikely to endear her to the party hierarchy, but it signals significant internal tension. The session laid bare a First Minister under pressure on multiple fronts: from opposition attacks on policy and integrity to a growing willingness from his own MSPs to demand answers on matters of principle.
