Swinney Elected Scotland First Minister as SNP Tries to Rebuild
- Will lead a minority government in parliament in Edinburgh
- Nationalists trying to fend off Labour surge in opinion polls
John Swinney
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John Swinney was elected Scotland’s First Minister, as his governing Scottish National Party seeks to arrest a long-term slide in the polls ahead of a UK-wide vote expected in the second half of the year.
Swinney, 60, will now lead a minority government in the devolved Scottish parliament after his predecessor, Humza Yousaf dramatically aborted a power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens that ultimately led to the former first minister resigning just over a week ago. Swinney’s appointment was confirmed on Tuesday when the Greens abstained from voting, as expected.