Scottish parliament approves John Swinney as country’s new first minister
John Swinney
Scotland's parliament on Tuesday (May 7) approved John Swinney as the country's new first minister. This happened a day after he was named leader of the ruling pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP).
Swinney, who joined the party as a teenager in 1979, has succeeded Humza Yousaf, who last week announced that he would step down. He formally resigned from the role earlier in the day.
The 60-year-old Swinney won the backing of 64 lawmakers in the vote. the result was a foregone conclusion, with nearest rival Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross picking up 31.
"My decision to stand for the leadership is not born out of long-held ambition, but rather a profound sense of duty to my party and to my country," Swinney told a cheering audience in Glasgow on Monday.
"I know there's some controversy that I'm the only candidate to stand for the leadership....For me, the fact that I am the only candidate demonstrates that the Scottish National Party is coming back together again now," he added.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
Swinney led the SNP from 2000 to 2004 when it was in opposition in the devolved Scottish parliament at Holyrood. He was picked to be finance minister when the SNP became the largest party in the parliament in 2007.
Yousaf's resignation
On April 29, Yousaf resigned as Scotland's first minister - a decision he took instead of facing two confidence votes. The 39-year-old politician also said he would stand down as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) but would stay on until his successor was found.
Yousaf, the first Muslim leader of a major UK political party, previously held health and justice ministerial briefs in the Scottish Government. He succeeded former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon as first minister in March 2023.
His resignation came after the collapse of the Bute House Agreement, which was Yousaf's power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens. His government had earlier abandoned ambitious targets for the transition to net-zero carbon emissions, which had angered the Greens. The Greens slammed Yousaf and accused him of "selling out future generations" over climate.
Soon after, the opposition Scottish Conservatives lodged a vote of no-confidence in Yousaf. Scottish Labour has lodged another no-confidence vote in his government.
(With inputs from agencies)