- John Swinney is officially the new head of government of Scotland.
- The leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) has been sworn into office at a ceremony in Edinburgh.
- Kate Forbes will be the deputy head of government. The 34-year-old decided not to run for office in favor of Swinney.
John Swinney was elected by the Scottish regional parliament on Tuesday. As required, the 60-year-old has now made several affidavits in the Court of Sessions building, including a declaration of loyalty to King Charles III. In return, he received his official title as First Minister and Keeper of the Scottish Seal.
Impressions of Swinney’s swearing-in
The new head of government then appointed his cabinet. The most important person: former finance minister Kate Forbes. The 34-year-old takes over the office of deputy head of government – according to the media in return for her decision not to run again.
Legend:
Kate Forbes becomes the new deputy head of government.
Reuters/Lesley Martin
Forbes is considered a representative of the conservative wing of the party and narrowly lost to Swinney’s predecessor Humza Yousaf in the internal party vote a year ago.
Scotland’s political turmoil
Scotland has recently experienced politically turbulent days. First, former Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf dismissed the Greens from government. A few days later, Yousaf himself was forced to resign.
Since then, the Scottish National Party (SNP) has been looking for a new party leader, who could be found without lengthy negotiations with John Swinney. Swinney is the seventh Scottish head of government since the introduction of the regional parliament 25 years ago.
To govern, Swinney needs the votes of other parties. It is expected that the Greens in particular will support him. The SNP aims for independence from Great Britain.