John Swinney is the “best politician in Scotland”, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has insisted, as he dismissed speculation over his own leadership ambitions.
The MP is to stand for Holyrood in the 2026 election and there have been suggestions he may be eyeing a possible future as party leader.
Mr Swinney however has made clear that if he wins next year’s election, he intends to serve the full five-year term as First Minister.
Mr Flynn said the current party leader, who took over the job a year ago, is “the best-placed person to lead our party and our country” – adding he will spend the 12 months in the run-up to the Holyrood poll working “incredibly hard” to try to see Mr Swinney returned as First Minister.
The SNP MP revealed he had not only urged Mr Swinney to stand to be first minister and SNP leader last year, after Humza Yousaf dramatically quit, but also in 2023 when Nicola Sturgeon stepped down.
On that first occasion Mr Swinney declined to stand, with Mr Yousaf elected as SNP leader following a divisive contest with Kate Forbes, the current Deputy First Minister.
Asked about his leadership ambitions while speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme on Thursday, Mr Flynn said: “When Nicola Sturgeon stood down as first minister, the first person that I called to take over the party hoping that they would was John Swinney.
“Of course he didn’t want to do so at the time.
“When the same happened with Humza Yousaf shortly thereafter again, the first person called to ask to take over as first minister and leader of our party was John Swinney.
“I did that because John Swinney is the best politician in Scotland, and he is the best-placed person to lead our party and our country.
“Over the course of the next 12 months, myself and colleagues in the SNP will work incredibly hard alongside John Swinney to make sure he is returned in that job.”
