First Minister John Swinney has declared that he “rescued the SNP from a position of enormous peril” after assuming leadership in 2024. Speaking to The Herald, Mr Swinney stated that the party was “in danger of collapse” when he took over following the resignation of Humza Yousaf.
A Critical Juncture for the SNP
Mr Swinney stepped into the role just months before the UK general election, which ultimately saw the SNP suffer devastating losses. Reflecting on his decision, he admitted that having recently retired from a long political career, he had not planned to return as First Minister. However, he said he would have felt a “real sense of regret” if he had not come forward to “try and repair the situation the SNP faced in 2024.”
Election Setback and Recovery
Heading into the 2024 general election, the SNP was the largest party representing Scotland at Westminster, having secured 48 out of 59 seats in 2019. Yet the election resulted in a catastrophic loss of 39 seats, leaving the SNP with only nine seats and relegating it to the second-largest party for Scottish seats, behind Scottish Labour. Despite this setback, the party managed to recover in the subsequent Scottish Parliament election, winning 58 seats and reaffirming its status as the largest party in Scotland, albeit seven seats short of a majority.
Restoring the Party's Fortunes
Mr Swinney emphasised his role in rebuilding the party’s relationship with the public and restoring democratic governance within the SNP. “I have restored its relationship with the public and we now find ourselves in a leading position that nobody in 2024 would have thought was possible,” he said. He attributed this turnaround to his focus on rebuilding internal relationships and ensuring the party “faces outwards and not look inwards.” The First Minister’s efforts have been widely credited with steering the SNP away from the brink of collapse and back into a position of political strength in Scotland.
