John Swinney issues update on his future as SNP leader beyond general election

First Minister John Swinney has said he is committed to his role as SNP leader regardless of the result on Thursday.

Opinion polls suggest the party could drop a substantial number of seats with Labour the most likely beneficiaries, with the two battling to be the largest party in Scotland after the General Election.

But Mr Swinney, who took on the role just eight weeks ago after Humza Yousaf stood down, has said he plans to carry on into the 2026 Holyrood election and beyond.

First Minister John Swinney on the campaign trail in Glasgow North

“I became leader of the SNP eight weeks ago today and I came into leadership in the SNP to bring my party together and to bring my country together,” he told the BBC on Monday morning.

“I committed to do that for the long term, I committed to that task, to take my party well beyond the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

If his party does manage to win at least 29 of Scotland’s 57 seats at this election, that would be a mandate for negotiations with the UK government over the holding of a referendum on Scottish independence, Mr Swinney has said. But he has refused to countenance not winning the required number, despite facing repeated questions from the media on what would happen if his party lost the election.

The First Minister’s comments came as he campaigned in the north-east of Scotland with candidate Seamus Logan, who is fighting for the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat against embattled Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross.

Ahead of his visit – where he highlighted the impact of Brexit – Mr Swinney said: “The result of the election in England is a foregone conclusion – Keir Starmer is going to be Prime Minister and he is going to carry on with the same broken politics and right-wing policies as the Tories.

“The only story left in this election is here in Scotland, where the result is on a knife-edge and where there is a real contest of ideas and values.”

Elsewhere, Scottish transport secretary Fiona Hyslop urged Labour to repeal the Internal Market Act, which the Scottish Government has repeatedly dubbed a “power grab”, if the party wins power later this week.