John Swinney

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John Swinney
MSP
Swinney in May 2024
First Minister of Scotland
Assumed office
8 May 2024
MonarchCharles III
DeputyKate Forbes
Preceded byHumza Yousaf
Leader of the Scottish National Party
Assumed office
6 May 2024
DeputeKeith Brown
Preceded byHumza Yousaf
In office
26 September 2000 – 3 September 2004
DeputeRoseanna Cunningham
Preceded byAlex Salmond
Succeeded byAlex Salmond
Cabinet offices
2007–2023
Deputy First Minister of Scotland
In office
21 November 2014 – 28 March 2023
First MinisterNicola Sturgeon
Preceded byNicola Sturgeon
Succeeded byShona Robison
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy[a]
Acting[b]
16 July 2022 – 28 March 2023
First MinisterNicola Sturgeon
Preceded byKate Forbes
Succeeded byShona Robison (Finance)
Neil Gray (Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy)
In office
17 May 2007 – 18 May 2016
First MinisterAlex Salmond
Nicola Sturgeon
Preceded byTom McCabe
Succeeded by
Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery
In office
20 May 2021 – 28 March 2023
First MinisterNicola Sturgeon
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
In office
18 May 2016 – 20 May 2021
First MinisterNicola Sturgeon
Preceded by
Succeeded byShirley-Anne Somerville
Party political offices
Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party
In office
25 August 1998 – 26 September 2000
LeaderAlex Salmond
Preceded byAllan Macartney
Succeeded byRoseanna Cunningham
Parliamentary offices
Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Perthshire North
North Tayside (1999–2011)
Assumed office
6 May 1999
Preceded byConstituency established
Majority3,336 (9.8%)
Member of Parliament
for Tayside North
In office
1 May 1997 – 14 May 2001
Preceded byBill Walker
Succeeded byPete Wishart
Personal details
Born
John Ramsay Swinney

(1964-04-13) 13 April 1964 (age 60)
Edinburgh, Scotland
Political partyScottish National Party
Spouses
Lorna King
​
​
(m. 1991; div. 1998)​
Elizabeth Quigley
​
(m. 2003)​
Children3
RelativesTom Hunter (uncle)
Alma materUniversity of Edinburgh
Websitewww.johnswinneymsp.com Edit this at Wikidata
This article is part of
a series about
John Swinney
Incumbent
Cabinet positions (2007-2023)

John Ramsay Swinney (born 13 April 1964) is a Scottish politician who has served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since May 2024. He previously served as the leader of the SNP from 2000 to 2004. He held various roles within the Scottish Cabinet from 2007 to 2023 under First Ministers Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. Swinney was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for North Tayside from 1999 to 2011 and, following boundary changes, has been MSP for Perthshire North since 2011. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Tayside North from 1997 to 2001.

Born in Edinburgh, Swinney graduated with a MA in politics at the University of Edinburgh. He joined the SNP at a young age, and quickly rose to prominence by serving as the National Secretary from 1986 to 1992 and as Deputy Leader from 1998 to 2000. He served in the House of Commons as MP for Tayside North from 1997 to 2001. He was elected to the inaugural Scottish Parliament at the 1999 Scottish Parliament election. After Salmond resigned the party leadership in 2000, Swinney was elected at the 2000 leadership election. He became Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament. The SNP lost one MP at the 2001 general election and eight MSPs at the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, despite the Officegate scandal unseating the previous Scottish Labour first minister, Henry McLeish. However, the only parties to gain seats in that election were the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) which, like the SNP, support independence. After an unsuccessful challenge to his leadership in 2003, and the party's unfavourable results at the 2004 European Parliament election, Swinney resigned. Salmond returned to the role at the subsequent 2004 leadership election.

From 2004 to 2007, Swinney was a backbencher. At the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP won the highest number of seats, and Salmond was subsequently appointed first minister. Swinney served under Salmond as Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth from 2007 to 2014. After Nicola Sturgeon succeeded Salmond, she appointed Swinney as Deputy First Minister in 2014. He also served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy, until that role was divided into two posts in the second Sturgeon government as a result of the expansion of the Scottish Parliament's financial powers; he was then appointed Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills in 2016, and then as Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery in 2021. On 25 May 2022, Swinney became the longest serving Deputy First Minister, surpassing the previous record which was held by Sturgeon. Swinney served as Acting Finance and Economy Secretary in addition to his position of Covid Recovery Secretary from July 2022 to March 2023. In March 2023 he announced his resignation from his senior positions in response to Sturgeon's resignation as first minister.

Swinney spent the duration of Humza Yousaf's premiership on the backbenches and served as a member of the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee. Following Yousaf's announcement of his resignation in April 2024, Swinney ran to succeed him at the 2024 SNP leadership election and was elected unopposed.

Early life[edit]

Family, education and early career[edit]

John Ramsay Swinney was born on 13 April 1964[1] in the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, the son of Kenneth Swinney, a garage manager,[2] and Agnes Weir Swinney (née Hunter).[3] His uncle Tom Hunter was awarded the Victoria Cross whilst serving with the Royal Marines during the Second World War.[4] His maternal grandparents, Ramsey and Mary Hunter, were from England, having moved to Edinburgh in the 1920s.[5][6]

Swinney was educated at Forrester High School, before attending the University of Edinburgh, where he graduated with an Master of Arts Honours degree in politics in 1986.[7] He was a research officer for the Scottish Coal Project from 1987 to 1988, a senior management consultant with Development Options from 1988 to 1992, and a strategic planning principal with Scottish Amicable Life Assurance from 1992 to 1997.[8]

Early political involvement[edit]

Swinney joined the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 1979 at the age of 15,[9] citing his anger at the way in which Scotland had been portrayed by television commentators at the Commonwealth Games.[10] He quickly became a prominent figure in the party's youth wing, the Young Scottish Nationalist, now known as the Young Scots for Independence (YSI).[11] He served as the SNP's Assistant National Secretary, before becoming the National Secretary in 1986, at the age of 22.[12]

Early political career[edit]

House of Commons[edit]

Swinney's official parliamentary portrait, 1999

At the 1997 general election, he was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for the Tayside North constituency,[13] and in 1999 he was elected to represent the same area at the Scottish Parliament. He stood down as a Westminster MP at the 2001 general election in order to avoid splitting his time, in line with all of his colleagues who found themselves in a similar 'dual mandate' position.

Election to Holyrood[edit]

In 1999 Swinney was elected to the 1st Scottish Parliament, representing the North Tayside constituency.[14] In Salmond's opposition cabinet, he served as the Spokesman on Enterprise and Lifelong Learning. He also served on the Parliament's Finance Committee and was the Convener of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee.[15]

First term as leader of the SNP (2000–2004)[edit]

Leadership bid[edit]

Main article: 2000 Scottish National Party leadership election

In 2000 Alex Salmond resigned as leader of the SNP,[16][17] which triggered a leadership contest.[18][19] Swinney ran in the election against Alex Neil.[20][21] The leadership contest was dominated by internal fights in the party between Gradualists, who advocated Scottish devolution as step towards independence, and Fundamentalists, who were suspicious of devolution and supported a more radical approach.[22][23] Swinney represented the gradualist wing and Neil represented the fundamentalists wing.[24][25] Whilst both candidates supported the position of the SNP on the centre-left, Neil was seen as the more left-wing of the two, and individuals associated with the Neil campaign argued that a Swinney leadership would drag the SNP to the right.[26][27][28]

Swinney won an overwhelming majority of votes by party delegates, securing 67.1% of votes.[29] He was appointed leader at the party's conference on 16 September 2000. Roseanna Cunningham, who endorsed Swinney in the leadership race, was elected Depute Leader.[30][31][32]

Tenure[edit]

Internal party divisions[edit]

Swinney's leadership quickly came under challenge. His subdued style of debating technique was often contrasted with that of his more charismatic predecessor.[33] In 2002 Dorothy-Grace Elder, the SNP MSP for the Glasgow region, resigned her party membership after coming dissatisfied with the leadership of the SNP. She sat as an independent MSP, but Swinney called for her resignation, describing her actions as a "flout [of] the democratic will of the people of Glasgow".[34] Margo MacDonald, a fundamentalist within the SNP, voiced her lack of confidence in Swinney's leadership. MacDonald was placed fifth in the Lothians region for the 2003 Parliament election in the SNP's candidate selection, effectively ending her chances of being re-elected as an SNP MSP.[35] In protest, she ran instead as an independent candidate and was later expelled from the party.[36]

In 2003 a former parliamentary candidate and a party activist in the Shetland Islands Brian Nugent announced that he was forming his own pro-independence party, the Scottish Party, which eventually relaunched itself as the Free Scotland Party, in response to what he perceived to be an overly pro-EU stance by the SNP.[37][38]

2001 UK and 2003 Scottish elections[edit]

Main articles: 2001 United Kingdom general election and 2003 Scottish Parliament election
Swinney speaking in a Scottish Parliament debate, June 2000

Swinney led the SNP through a poor election result at the 2001 UK General election.[39] The party failed to take any of their target seats and saw the loss of one of their MPs, reducing their representation at Westminster from six to five. In the Perth constituency, the Scottish Conservatives were 50 votes behind the SNP.[40][41] Although the SNP's vote share remained the second-largest party, behind Labour, their vote share fell by 2%.[42] Swinney's predecessor, Salmond, stated "consolidating as the second party in Scotland is no mean achievement" and highlighted it put the SNP in a good position for the upcoming Scottish Parliament election in 2003.[43] Following the results of the election, Swinney admitted there were "lessons to learn" and ensured the SNP would be the "principal opposition party in Scottish politics".[44]

In the 2003 election, the SNP performed poorly in yet another election, with the party's vote share dropping by 4.9%.[45] They lost eight of their seats they had gained in the previous election under the leadership of Salmond. Despite a poor result, this was also mirrored by the Scottish Labour Party, who lost six MSPs and their vote share dropped by 4.2%.[46] The SNP remained the second-largest party at Holyrood. The decline in support for the SNP was viewed by some as a rejection of the case for Scottish independence, however, the only parties which increased their representation in that election were the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) and the Scottish Green Party, both of which also support independence.[47][48]

2003 leadership challenge[edit]

Main article: 2003 Scottish National Party leadership election

Following the results of the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Bill Wilson, a party activist, became convinced that a change of direction was needed by the SNP leadership.[49] After discussing this with various SNP members, he was persuaded to contest the leadership himself and launched a challenge against Swinney.[50] Wilson ran a campaign attacking Swinney's proposals for party reform, which he claimed would centralise power and impoverish local branches. Wilson also challenged Swinney to a series of debates, although Swinney refused to take part.[51][52]

The election was yet another fight between the party's fundamentalists and gradualists, with Wilson attacking Swinney's proposal for a referendum on independence before pursuing negotiations with the British government. Wilson argued that as soon as the SNP can form a government it should pursue negotiations to end the union.[53]

The election was held at the party's 69th annual conference, and saw Swinney winning a massive victory over Wilson.[54] Moves in support of Wilson's proposition of pursuing independence negotiations without a referendum were thrown out at the party conference, and Swinney won significant policy battles over imposing a monthly levy on party MPs, MSPs, and MEPs. In a surprise result, the new central membership system was also approved.[55] The membership changes had been a key issue of attack from Wilson.[53] Soon afterwards, the party's National Executive Committee decided to suspend and then expel Campbell Martin. He had backed Wilson's leadership challenge and had continued to be overtly critical of Swinney's leadership, resulting in disciplinary action.[56] This was the last SNP election to use the delegate voting method. Future elections would be based on a one-person-one-vote postal vote system.[57]

Scottish independence[edit]

In September 2003 he urged SNP activists to ask the public, "Do you want independence, yes or no? And then tell the Brits to get off." A spokesman for Scottish Labour condemned the Swinney's use of language and said, "There is no place in Scotland for his brand of extreme nationalism."[58]

2004 European Parliament elections[edit]

Though retaining its two seats at the 2004 European elections, in a smaller field of 7 (Scotland up until then had 8 MEPs) the Scottish press and certain elements within the fundamentalist wing of the Party depicted the result as a disaster for the SNP putting further pressure on Swinney to resign.[59][60]

Resignation[edit]

After the results of the 2004 European Parliament election, senior figures within the SNP began privately briefing against Swinney. Gil Paterson, a former MSP for Central Scotland, was the first to call for Swinney's departure, with Michael Russell, a former potential campaign manager for Swinney calling for a change in approach from the SNP.[61] Members of the SNP shadow cabinet began privately discussing removing Swinney from the leadership, and Alex Salmond advised Swinney to resign in exchange for senior party figures not calling openly for his resignation.[62] On 22 June 2004, Swinney resigned as leader of the Scottish National Party, triggering a leadership contest.[63][64][65] He was succeeded by Alex Salmond after winning more than 75% of votes against Roseanna Cunningham and Michael Russell on a joint leadership ticket with Nicola Sturgeon.[66][67][68]

SNP in opposition (2004–2007)[edit]

From 2004 until the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Swinney sat on the SNP's opposition backbenches. He served as a convener on the Parliament's European and External Relations Committee from 2004 to 2005 and deputy convener on the Finance Committee from 2005 to 2007. Swinney was a substitute member of the Audit Committee from 2004 to 2007.[69] In September 2005, Swinney was made Shadow Minister for Finance.[70][71]

Salmond administration (2007–2014)[edit]

Finance Secretary: 2007–2016[edit]

Swinney's official portrait as Cabinet Secretary for Sustainable Growth

In the 2007 election to the 3rd Scottish Parliament, the SNP emerged as the largest party, with one seat more than the governing Scottish Labour.[72][73] Initially the SNP proposed coalition talks with the Scottish Liberal Democrats, however, they declined and instead Swinney led coalition talks with the Scottish Greens.[74] After an agreement, Salmond was appointed first minister of Scotland and he appointed Swinney as the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth in his first minority government.[75]

As response to Swinney not notifying the Scottish Parliament that he had let the Scottish Variable Rate lapse due to not funding this tax mechanism, the Scottish Parliament voted to censure him and called his actions "an abuse of power".[76] Subsequently, a freedom of information request showed that even if Swinney had funded the mechanism, problems and delays in the HM Revenue & Customs computer system made any collection of the tax impossible. The Scottish Government added, "The power has not lapsed, the HMRC simply does not have an IT system capable of delivering a ten-month state of readiness."[77][78]

2008 financial crisis[edit]

Further information: 2008 financial crisis

As Finance Secretary, Swinney was faced with the 2008 financial crash, which resulted in the Scottish economy entering recession.[79]

Deputy First Minister of Scotland (2014–2023)[edit]

Swinney with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon after his appointment as Deputy First Minister, November 2014

Following the defeat of the Yes Scotland campaign in the 2014 referendum, Salmond resigned as leader of the SNP and Swinney was seen as a likely candidate in the leadership race, however, he "unreservedly" ruled himself out for a second bid as leader and endorsed Nicola Sturgeon.[80][81][82] Sturgeon was elected unopposed as leader and was subsequently appointed First Minister of Scotland.[83][84] On 21 November 2014, Sturgeon appointed Swinney as Deputy First Minister.[85] He remained as Finance Secretary in Sturgeon's new cabinet.[86][87]

Sturgeon and Swinney head the first meeting of the Scottish Cabinet, May 2016

Education Secretary: 2016–2021[edit]

In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP lost its overall majority, but remained the largest party with Sturgeon securing a second term as first minister.[88][89] She reappointed Swinney as deputy first minister, and for the first time in nine years, he was reshuffled from his roles as Finance Secretary to Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.[90][91]

Educational performance[edit]

After the 2017 General Election saw the SNP lose 21 seats, pollster Professor John Curtice told the BBC that the party's record on education had likely dented its popularity: "The SNP may want to reflect that their domestic record, not least on schools, is beginning to undermine their support among those who on the constitutional question are still willing to support the Nationalist position."[92]

In March 2020, after the results of Scottish students dropped in maths and science in the international PISA rankings for education, Swinney admitted, "There is progress to be made in maths and science."[93] Scottish Conservative education spokeswoman Liz Smith said: "These two areas are so critical to the success of much of Scotland's modern economy. We should be doing so much better."[94]

2020 SQA exam controversy[edit]

In August 2020, Swinney was subject to a vote of no confidence in Parliament, with the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats all accusing Swinney of creating an exam results system which "unfairly penalised pupils at schools which had historically not performed so well".[95] During the No Confidence debate, Nicola Sturgeon described him as "one of the most decent and dedicated people in Scottish politics", while The Herald newspaper reported that: "Mr Swinney endured a deeply uncomfortable hour in the Holyrood chamber, as opposition MSPs said he had been a serial failure at the education portfolio, and he knew it."[96] The motion was defeated by 67 votes to 58 resulting in Swinney surviving the vote and remaining as Scottish Education Secretary.[97][98]

Vote of no confidence[edit]

In March 2021 Swinney was the subject of a second motion of no confidence.[99] As the minister in charge of liaising with the Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints, Swinney twice refused to publish legal advice requested by the committee.[100][better source needed] After two votes in Parliament failed to persuade him to publish the advice, opposition parties announced a motion of no confidence in him.[100] Swinney u-turned and published the advice; the Scottish Greens declared they would not support the motion of no confidence and it was defeated by 65 votes to 57.[100]

Attainment gap[edit]

A report by Audit Scotland in March 2021 concluded that the results of Swinney's efforts to reduce the poverty related attainment gap in Scottish education were "limited and [fell] short of the Scottish Government’s aims. Improvement needs to happen more quickly and there needs to be greater consistency across the country." In 10 Scottish council areas the attainment gap between the richest and the poorest children increased.[101]

Covid Recovery Secretary: 2021–2023[edit]

Swinney at a COVID-19 press conference in 2021

Following the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, Scottish Labour urged Sturgeon to replace Swinney as Cabinet Secretary for Education, citing what it called "a litany of failures", in the "hope a new minister can stop the rot."[102] On 18 May, Sturgeon announced Swinney would continue as Deputy First Minister but would be reshuffled to the new cabinet role as Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery.[103]

Following Sturgeon's resignation in February 2023, Swinney announced on 2 March 2023 that he was standing down from his position as Deputy First Minister. He stated that it had been an "honour to serve Scotland".[104] In March 2023, Swinney moved to the SNP's backbenches and served as a member of the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee.[105][106] He spent the duration of Humza Yousaf's premiership on the backbenches.

2024 SNP leadership election[edit]

See also: 2024 Scottish National Party leadership election
Swinney's leadership campaign logo.

Following Humza Yousaf's resignation in April 2024 amid a government crisis, Swinney launched his leadership bid on 2 May, after Kate Forbes, who was a serious contender to become leader, dropped out and endorsed him.[107]

Graeme McCormick announced he would challenge Swinney for the leadership, saying he had the 100 nominations on 5 May.[108] Just hours later, he withdrew and endorsed Swinney, becoming the presumptive nominee.[109]

On 6 May, with no other candidates put forward, Swinney was elected as party leader unopposed.[110] He said that he would work with Scottish unionists as leader.[111]

First Minister of Scotland (2024–)[edit]

Main article: Premiership of John Swinney

Swinney was officially sworn into office as first minister of Scotland on 8 May 2024 at the Court of Session in Edinburgh after receiving the Royal Warrant of Appointment by King Charles III.[112][113]

Political positions[edit]

In September 2022, amid the death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, Swinney stated that the monarch should remain head of state of an independent Scotland.[114]

In May 2024, there was media speculation that Swinney would move the party towards the political centre and away from a transgender-affirming stance on gender recognition reform, which was supported by the Scottish Greens. Swinney did not comment on this, but said that he would follow a "moderate centre-left agenda – that's where I come from, that's where my party's policy base is and that's how we'll take it forward".[115]

Parliamentary electoral history[edit]

2020s[edit]

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Perthshire North[116][117]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP John Swinney[c] 19,860 49.5 Increase0.9 16,090 40.1 Decrease1.6
Conservative Murdo Fraser[d] 15,807 39.4 Increase0.6 14,670 36.5 Decrease 1.7
Scottish Green 3,241 8.1 Increase2.1
Labour Ryan Smart 2,324 5.8 Decrease1.9 2,838 7.1 Decrease0.5
Liberal Democrats Peter Barrett 1,802 4.5 Decrease0.5 1,728 4.3 Increase0.4
Alba 658 1.6 New
All for Unity 270 0.7 New
Scottish Family Donald Marshall 334 0.8 New 230 0.6 New
Reform UK 111 0.3 New
Abolish the Scottish Parliament 105 0.3 New
Freedom Alliance (UK) 96 0.2 New
Libertarian 51 0.1 Decrease0.1
UKIP 34 0.1 Decrease1.8
Independent Martin Keatings 25 0.1 New
Renew 8 0.0 New
Independent Mercy Kamanja 4 0.0 New
Majority 4,053 10.1 Increase0.3
Valid Votes 40,127 40,159
Invalid Votes 141 73
Turnout 40,268 69.9 Increase6.9 40,232 69.9 Increase6.9
SNP hold Swing
Notes
  1. ^ Previously titled Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth from 2007 to 2011; Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth from 2011 to 2014; and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy from 2014 to 2016
  2. ^ Swinney was acting Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy during the maternity leave of Kate Forbes from 2022 to 2023.
  3. ^ Incumbent member for this constituency
  4. ^ Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency

2010s[edit]

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Perthshire North[117]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP John Swinney[a] 16,526 48.6 Decrease12.2 14,218 41.7 Decrease11.4
Conservative Murdo Fraser[b] 13,190 38.8 Increase12.5 13,038 38.2 Increase13.2
Labour Anna McEwan 2,604 7.7 Decrease1.2 2,599 7.6 Decrease1.4
Scottish Green 2,045 6.0 Increase1.5
Liberal Democrats Peter Barrett 1,705 5.0 Increase1.0 1,336 3.9 Increase0.2
UKIP 634 1.9 Increase0.8
RISE 104 0.3 New
Solidarity 78 0.2 Increase0.1
Libertarian 60 0.2 New
Majority 3,336 9.8 Decrease24.7
Valid Votes 34,025 34,112
Invalid Votes 112 59
Turnout 34,137 63.0 Increase6.7 34,171 63.0 Increase6.7
SNP hold Swing
Notes
  1. ^ Incumbent member for this constituency
  2. ^ Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency
2011 Scottish Parliament election: Perthshire North[118][119]
Party Candidate Constituency Region
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP John Swinney[a] 18,219 60.8 N/A 15,908 53.1 N/A
Conservative Murdo Fraser[b] 7,866 26.3 N/A 7,491 25.0 N/A
Labour Pete Cheema 2,672 8.9 N/A 2,690 9.0 N/A
Scottish Green 1,359 4.5 N/A
Liberal Democrats Victor Clements 1,196 4.0 N/A 1,121 3.7 N/A
Scottish Senior Citizens 440 1.5 N/A
UKIP 334 1.1 N/A
BNP 187 0.6 N/A
Scottish Christian 110 0.4 N/A
Socialist Labour 97 0.3 N/A
CPA 88 0.3 N/A
Scottish Socialist 74 0.2 N/A
Independent Andrew Roger 42 0.1 N/A
Solidarity 17 0.1 N/A
Majority 10,353 34.5 N/A
Valid Votes 29,953 29,958
Invalid Votes 117 117
Turnout 30,070 56.3 N/A 30,075 56.3 N/A
SNP win (new seat)
Notes
  1. ^ Incumbent member for the North Tayside constituency
  2. ^ Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency

2000s[edit]

2007 Scottish Parliament election: North Tayside
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP John Swinney 18,281 51.6 +6.7
Conservative Murdo Fraser 10,697 30.2 -1.2
Labour Michael Marra 3,243 9.2 -1.4
Liberal Democrats James Taylor 3,175 9.0 -0.6
Majority 7,584 21.4 +7.9
Turnout 35.395 57.1 +3.9
SNP hold Swing +4.0
2003 Scottish Parliament election: North Tayside
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP John Swinney 14,969 44.9 +0.8
Conservative Murdo Fraser 10,466 31.4 -1.7
Labour Gordon MacRae 3,527 10.6 -4.4
Liberal Democrats Bob Forrest 3,206 9.6 +1.9
Scottish Socialist Rosie Adams 941 2.8 New
Scottish People's George Ashe 234 0.7 New
Majority 4,503 13.5 +2.5
Turnout 33,343 53.2
SNP hold Swing +0.8

1990s[edit]

1999 Scottish Parliament election: North Tayside
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP John Swinney 16,786 44.11 N/A
Conservative Murdo Fraser 12,594 33.09 N/A
Labour Marion Dingwall 5,727 15.05 N/A
Liberal Democrats Peter Regent 2,948 7.75 N/A
Majority 4,192 11.02 N/A
Turnout 38,055
SNP win (new seat)

Personal life[edit]

John Swinney with his family in 2024
Swinney with his wife, Elizabeth Quigley, and their son, Matthew, in 2024.

Swinney was married to Lorna King from 1991 to 1998. They had two children: Judith and Stuart. The couple divorced in 1998 after the Daily Record revealed King had an affair with a married nursery teacher.[120] The marriage was subsequently annulled by the Scottish Catholic Tribunal in order that Swinney be allowed to marry in the Catholic Church in Scotland.[121]

In 2003, Swinney married Elizabeth Quigley, a BBC Scotland News reporter.[122] Quigley was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000.[123] In 2010, she gave birth to Swinney's third child, Matthew.[124][125] They live near Blairgowrie in Perth and Kinross.[126]

Swinney has described himself as "a man of deep Christian faith".[127]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Mr John Swinney (Hansard)". api.parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  2. ^ "John Swinney will love Edinburgh trams – father". The Scotsman. 22 May 2013. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  3. ^ Death certificate of Agnes Weir Swinney, 2020, Edinburgh, Central 734/ 462 – National Records of Scotland
  4. ^ Fraser, Gemma (30 March 2010). "School's Victoria Cross hero honoured at memorial move". The Scotsman article. Edinburgh: The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  5. ^ "World War II". 5 March 2012. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  6. ^ "News | The Scotsman". www.scotsman.com. Archived from the original on 30 December 2007. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  7. ^ "Deputy First Minister". www.gov.scot. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  8. ^ "The Scottish Parliament , John Swinney". 2 May 2006. Archived from the original on 2 May 2006. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  9. ^ "John Swinney". Scottish National Party. 5 September 2018. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  10. ^ Young, Andrew (11 May 1983). "TV-am may have the morning off". The Herald. Glasgow. p. 1. Archived from the original on 7 May 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  11. ^ "History – Young Scots for Independence". YSI. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  12. ^ "John Swinney". The Guardian. 25 March 2001. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  13. ^ "UK Parliament > MPs and Lords > Find MPs > Mr John Swinney". parliament.uk. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  14. ^ "FM hails John Swinney as 'nicest guy in politics' as he hits 25-year milestone". The National. May 2022. Archived from the original on 9 September 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  15. ^ "John Swinney". 19 August 1999. Archived from the original on 19 August 1999. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  16. ^ "Salmond stuns SNP with decision to quit". The Guardian. 18 July 2000. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  17. ^ "Salmond resigns after 10 years as SNP leader". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  18. ^ "SNP contenders fight for party's soul". The Guardian. 16 September 2000. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  19. ^ "Scramble to lead SNP as Salmond quits". www.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  20. ^ "High noon for Swinney". The Guardian. 23 July 2000. Archived from the original on 8 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for North Tayside
1997–2001 		Succeeded by
Scottish Parliament
New constituency Member of the Scottish Parliament for North Tayside
1999–2011 		Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of the Scottish Parliament for Perthshire North
2011–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded byas Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy
2007–2016 		Succeeded byas Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution
Preceded by Deputy First Minister of Scotland
2014–2023 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by National Secretary of the Scottish National Party
1986–1992 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Scottish National Party Vice Convenor for Publicity
1992–1997 		Office abolished
Preceded by Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party
1998–2000 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the Scottish National Party
2000–2004
(National Convener 2000 – April 2004) 		Succeeded by
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