No one is more qualifed to be FM than Swinney
SNP MP FOR PERTH & PERTHSHIRE NORTH
It has been a busy week in Scottish politics to say the least, which has seen the resignation of our First Minister, Humza Yousaf.
I would like to pay tribute to Humza.
The job of First Minister is never easy, and that has certainly been true for his time in office.
But despite the challenges thrown his way, he has led with integrity and compassion throughout, shown not least through his dignified and heartfelt resignation speech.
I think his time will be particularly remembered for the incredible international leadership he displayed following the war in Gaza, in what was undoubtedly the most dreadful of times for him and his family.
His unwavering compassion for both sides, and emphasis on their shared humanity, is exactly what the country needed in order to unite communities and defuse tensions.
Scotland has also continued to be the only nation in the UK to avoid NHS strikes under Humza’s watch, thanks to his willingness to engage constructively with workers.
Not to mention the 100,000 children being lifted out of poverty thanks to the Scottish Child Payment.
Whilst the way in which his leadership has come to an end is, of course, a source of regret, he is still a youngster by politicians’standards, and I know that he has the brightest of futures ahead of him.
By now, readers will have seen that Perthshire’s very own John Swinney is standing to succeed Humza.
I have had the pleasure of working alongside John for 23 years, and I can safely say that there is nobody more qualified than him to lead this country through such challenging times.
His wealth of experience in government, spanning over 17 years, makes him second to none when it comes to making big decisions in the interests of the nation.
He has the vision for a better Scotland, and the unshakable determination to bring that to fruition.
Moreover, the respect he commands across Holyrood is exactly what is needed to build relations with the opposition, particularly as we enter this new chapter of minority government.
There is no denying that this has been a tumultuous time for our party, and the various issues we have been grappling with have oftentimes overshadowed our ambitious policy agenda.
Fresh leadership presents an opportunity for us to unite together and renew our commitment to the priorities of the people of Scotland - tackling the cost-of-living crisis, ramping up economic growth and strengthening our NHS.
And there is nobody more capable of achieving all of those and more than John Swinney.