Swinney’s claim of ‘fresh leadership’ mocked by political opponents

John Swinney has faced mockery after insisting he represents “fresh leadership” for Scotland after being challenged over his “legacy of failure” during 16 years at the top of the SNP government.

Holyrood opposition leaders used Mr Swinney’s debut First Minister’s Questions after he succeeded Humza Yousaf to scrutinise his troubled period as education secretary between 2016 and 2021.

Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tory leader, challenged him four times to stand by his pledge to increase teacher numbers by 3,500 during this parliamentary term, but he failed to do so.

Mr Ross also noted that Scotland’s education system had continued to tumble down international league tables during Mr Swinney’s tenure, and that he had failed to meet his pledge to eradicate the attainment gap between rich and poor children.

Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said the SNP-run Glasgow City council was cutting hundreds of teacher posts and that Mr Swinney “bears responsibility for the broken finances in our councils and the decimation of our education system”.

He said: “Scotland needs fresh leadership, new ideas and change so, after being at the heart of every single SNP failure for the past 17 years, why does John Swinney think that Scotland should accept more of the same?”

Mr Swinney replied: “I have good news for Anas Sarwar – that fresh leadership has just arrived, and I am right here to deliver it.”

However, opposition MSPs laughted and pointed at the SNP’s front bench. Mr Swinney’s cabinet is identical to that appointed by Humza Yousaf, except for the addition of Kate Forbes as his deputy first minister.

Mr Swinney was finance secretary in Alex Salmond’s government from 2007, before becoming Nicola Sturgeon’s deputy first minister in 2014, holding a series of senior positions in her administration.

He stood down from the Scottish cabinet in tandem with her last year, and it was assumed his career in frontline politics was over.

But Mr Yousaf’s ignominious fall from power, after he botched his decision to end his power-sharing deal with the Greens, prompted him to make a surprise comeback as First Minister.

Mr Swinney previously led the SNP between 2000 and 2004, when the party was in opposition, but stepped down following poor election results.

Speaking after their exchanges, Mr Ross said Mr Swinney’s failure to stand by his teacher numbers pledge would be “heard loud and clear across Scotland”.

“For 16 years, John Swinney has been at the heart of an SNP government that has let down pupils, parents and teachers,” he said. “Now he’s the head of the Government, what’s going to change?”

Mr Sarwar said: “As education secretary he abandoned teachers, standards declined, the attainment gap widened, Scotland fell in the international league tables and shamefully he downgraded the results of working-class children. Now, as First Minister, he is trapped by the past, defending his own record while Scotland’s children pay the price.”

Responding to Mr Ross’s challenge on teacher numbers, Mr Swinney said: “I have to live in the real world of the public finances available to me.

“I am going to be straight with the public of Scotland – I am going to tell them the way it is. I am going to be clear – we are under enormous financial pressure, and my Government is going to have to come to Parliament with information about the challenges we face in the public finances. We will be doing that in due course.”