"Deeply honored"

Swinney is the leader of Scotland’s governing party

The Scottish politician John Swinney(Bild: AFP/Andy Buchanan)

Scottish politician John Swinney is the new leader of the governing SNP party. He is therefore well on the way to becoming the regional head of government in Edinburgh. He feels "deeply honored", said the 60-year-old on Monday.

Swinney was the only candidate for the post of leader of the Scottish independence supporters. He had already led the SNP between 2000 and 2004 and was previously deputy leader. The Scot was born in Edinburgh in 1964 and joined the Scottish National Party at the age of 15. He studied political science and has held several different positions in party politics, including Minister of Finance and Minister of Education.

John Swinney(Bild: AFP/Andy Buchanan)

Head of government resigns
The previous Scottish head of government, Humza Yousaf, announced his resignation a week ago after 13 months in office (see video above). In doing so, he had pre-empted two votes of no confidence. The Scottish Greens had left the coalition in a dispute over climate policy.

Swinney was not a member of the Yousaf cabinet. His only rival for the post of leader declared that she would not run against him but would support him. The politician now faces the task of organizing a parliamentary majority for his government. The SNP does not have an absolute majority in the Scottish Parliament.