The Steamie: What might happen next as John Swinney set for SNP leader coronation

The Scotsman’s political team discuss a momentous week in Scottish politics – where Humza Yousaf announced his resignation and John Swinney returned from the wilderness to loom as the first minister-in-waiting

John Swinney is on course to become Scotland’s seventh first minister, with his appointment expected to become official next week.

But can Nicola Sturgeon’s former deputy chart a bounceback for the SNP – or will one of the party’s most experienced politicians be unable to claw back the losses in the polls that marked Humza Yousaf’s tenure as leader?

Those questions – and many more – are debated by The Scotsman’s politics team on the latest episode of political podcast The Steamie, as they contemplate what may happen next under Mr Swinney’s leadership.

The fourth episode of The Steamie for 2022 is now live. Picture: JPI Media/Shutterstock

Political editor Alistair Grant is joined by deputy political editor David Bol and political correspondent Rachel Amery as they discuss all the fallout from an extraordinary week in politics at Holyrood.

They debate what the make-up of a new administration under Mr Swinney could look like, and where Kate Forbes could fit into a new-look Cabinet after she announced on Thursday she would not be contesting the leadership herself. The place of the Scottish Greens, following the axing of the Bute House Agreement, also comes under scrutiny.

You can check out the latest episode of The Steamie wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.