Scotland's new Prime Minister elected in May 2024: Who is John Swinney?

Swinney, the former Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the SNP between 2000 and 2004, won the majority in the parliament with 64 votes in the vote held in Holyrood.

The other three candidates participating in the leadership race, Douglas Ross, received 31 votes, Anas Sarwar 22 and Alex Cole-Hamilton 4 votes.

Thus, 60-year-old Swinney became Scotland's new Regional Prime Minister.

Swinney is expected to swear allegiance to King Charles III of England and officially begin his duties as Regional Prime Minister of Scotland.

SNP and Scottish Green Party decided to break the coalition

Hamza Yusuf's decision to resign on April 29 came after the SNP ended the power-sharing agreement with its ruling partner, the Scottish Green Party.

The SNP and the Scottish Green Party decided to break the coalition that had been going on for 3 years after the disagreement on emission targets. Yusuf also removed the co-chairs of the Green Party from their positions in the government.

Yusuf, who won the leadership race on March 27, 2023, which started after the resignation of former Scottish Regional Prime Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, was sworn in two days later and officially took office on March 29, becoming "Scotland's first Muslim prime minister."

Hamza Yusuf's father was of Pakistani origin and immigrated to Scotland in the 1960s, and his mother was born in Kenya to a South Asian family.

Who is John Swinney?

Swinney, born on 13 April 1964, has been Scotland's Deputy First Minister since 2014 and Cabinet Secretary for the Covid Recovery since 2021.

John Ramsay Swinney (born 13 April 1964) is a Scottish politician who has served as Leader of the Scottish National Party since 2024 and previously from 2000 to 2004. He held various Scottish Cabinet roles under First Ministers Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon from 2007 to 2023. Swinney has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 1999, first representing North Tayside, and then, Perthshire North since 2011.

He was chairman of the Scottish National Party (MSP) from 2000 to 2004. He served as Education Secretary from 2016 to 2021 and Finance Secretary from 2007 to 2016. Swinney also previously represented North Tayside as an incumbent from 1999 to 2011. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for North Perthshire since 2011.

He was born in Edinburgh. Swinney graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in politics. He joined the SNP at a young age and quickly rose to prominence, serving as National Secretary from 1986 to 1992 and Acting Chairman of the SNP from 1998 to 2000. Swinney served in the British House of Commons as a Member of Parliament for North Tayside from 1997 to 2001.

He was elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999. After Alex Salmond resigned as party leader in 2000, Swinney was elected Leader of the Scottish National Party in the ensuing leadership election. He became Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament.

Swinney resigned following disappointing results in the 2004 European Parliament elections.