Scottish politics RECAP: Humza Yousaf formally resigns | John Swinney elected Scotland's new first minister
Catch up on what happened as John Swinney was elected the new First Minister of Scotland.
Scotland News Live: Keep up with news from across the country
In other news...
The last-ever episode of BBC sitcom Gavin and Stacey will be shown on Christmas Day this year, the broadcaster said.
Professor Sir John Curtice: 'Worrying night' for the Conservatives as Labour make huge election gains.
Read more from our politics correspondent on the elections down south right here.
Rishi Sunak has suffered a by-election drubbing and faces further pain in council contests across England.
Labour's Chris Webb won the Blackpool South parliamentary seat with a swing of 26.33% from the Tories and Sir Keir Starmer's party also secured council wins in areas which will be key general election battlegrounds later this year.
The Tories avoided the humiliation of coming third in Blackpool South, but finished just 117 votes ahead of Reform UK.
Out of the 107 councils where votes were held on Thursday, just 35 counted overnight - but the results make grim reading for the Prime Minister.
The Tories lost control of three authorities and 96 councillors lost their seats.
Labour gained three authorities and 58 councillors.
SNP members do not want to see a repeat of last year's "bruising" leadership contest, a senior Scottish Government minister has said.
Former deputy first minister John Swinney looks set to run unopposed to replace Humza Yousaf as SNP leader and first minister after Kate Forbes, an ex-finance secretary, ruled herself out of the contest.
Nominations will not close until Monday, but so far likely candidates to run against Mr Swinney have ruled themselves out.
Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan, who introduced Mr Swinney at his campaign launch in Edinburgh on Thursday, said the Perthshire North MSP is the "right man" to unite the party.
It follows a tough week for the SNP at Holyrood, which began when Mr Yousaf abruptly ended the powersharing Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens and saw the fallout force him to resign after 13 months as First Minister.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme on Friday, Ms McAllan said: "There is a sense within the party that the last contest was a particularly bruising one, and I think there is absolutely a sense among members and activists that many of us would not wish to see that repeated.
"I think what the biggest deciding factor has been so far is the stature of John Swinney as somebody who has come forward.
Concert goers have been left "really frustrated" after events at Co-op Live in Manchester were cancelled or moved to another venue at the last minute after the new arena was hit by technical problems.
Olivia Rodrigo's sold-out concerts were cancelled while Take That announced they are moving their shows in May from Co-op Live to AO Arena in Manchester.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.