John Swinney has vowed to remain as First Minister until 2031 if he wins the Holyrood election next year.
The SNP leader was widely regarded as a caretaker when he came out of semi-retirement to take over the top job in May amid an unprecedented meltdown for the nationalists.
But in a exclusive interview with the Sunday Mail the 60-year-old has revealed he now wants to stay in office and serve a full term if elected in 2026.
The First Minister also:
– Told how he remains in close contact with Nicola Sturgeon despite a police investigation into SNP finances during her premiership.
– Revealed he was once rushed to hospital and kept in overnight after suffering chest pains in the back of a ministerial car.
– Ridiculed Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar for going into budget negotiations “with his cards face up”.
– Demanded a Good Friday Agreement style legal trigger for a new independence referendum.
– Admitted he wasn’t ready for the job when he first led the SNP from 2000 to 2004.
Swinney stood down as deputy first minister in February 2023 following Sturgeon’s resignation as first minister and was reported to be considering retiring altogether as an MSP.
But, after Humza Yousaf’s brief time at the helm ended amid an unprecedented crisis for the party and plunging poll ratings, Swinney reluctantly put himself forward for the job and was elected unopposed.
The move was believed to be a short term solution to steady the ship and allow for a future leadership race with Westminster leader Stephen Flynn and Deputy FM Kate Forbes likely candidates.
But when asked whether he now wanted to remain in office for a further six years as polls now suggest he could, Swinney said: “That would be my plan. That’s what I’m intending to do dependent obviously on the judgement of voters.
“I decided not to stand for the party leadership when Nicola Sturgeon stood down because I felt I needed to move on. I was very tired, mentally and physically and I was leaving office really quite happily.
“But I benefited for the 12 months that followed. I never really understood the benefit of a sabbatical before that but I emerged feeling strong and with a new perspective on the job.
“I think people probably look at me today and see a different character in the way I am handling things.”
When Swinney took over the SNP’s popularity was plunging in the face of a string of scandals.
However recent polls have found Labour has fallen behind the SNP and suggest the party’s stranglehold on Scottish politics could remains intact.
Swinney insisted he can win a majority in 2026 and admitted he wasn’t ready for leadership last time he led his party from 2000 until 2004.
He said: “Experience is fundamental. I have now served in a number of very demanding senior government roles and I also have the benefit of that year out of the front line which gave me the time to reflect.
“When I became First Minister I didn’t have much time to think about it. I had a very abrupt decision to make. I made it as quickly as I could, but since then I’ve had the opportunity to draw on all of what I learned and I know I did the right thing.”
The SNP is still waiting for the outcome of Operation Branchform after Nicola Sturgeon’s husband and former party CEO Peter Murrell was charged with embezzling funds last April.
Swinney added: “The party today is recovering. We’ve had big setbacks, the general election in July was a real blow to us.
“But I am determined to respond in a dignified and considered way that is focused on the future and where the party’s heading.”
When asked whether he still speaks regularly to Sturgeon he revealed: “Yes, we keep in touch yes.”
The SNP’s budget now looks certain to pass a vote at Holyrood after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said his MSPs would abstain, while adding that they would vote in favour if plans to abolish the two child benefits cap were brought forward.
The Lib Dems meanwhile are still in negotiations over whether they will back the spending plans, prompting Swinney to ridicule Sarwar’s negotiating tactics.
He said: “Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton is in a stronger bargaining position today than Anas Sarwar is because Anas has said Labour are abstaining while Alex has said no such thing.
“I will remove the two child cap as soon as possible but I can’t do it by April and Anas knows that. Its a foolish point.
“He has put all his cards face up on the table and Alex Cole-Hamilton has not.
“He is holding his cards and he is discussing them with us and I will be respectful of that.”
Swinney has revealed he spent a night in hospital after suffering chest pains in the back of a ministerial car and rushing to accident and emergency.
After the incident around 2009 the First Minister was shocked to find he had put on four stones in weight since becoming an MSP and vowed to change his lifestyle.
He said: “I was out in the government car and clearly in a bit of discomfort with pain across my chest.
“My driver said he was taking me to accident emergency and I was kept in overnight.
“Everything came back fine and I was allowed to go home the next morning but as I was leaving the consultant asked me how much weight I had gained since becoming an MSP and I realised it was four stones.
“I decided I had to do something about it and I took up running and I have been running ever since then.
“Anyone who lives a demanding and stressful life, as I do, should take care over their health.
“I find that if I have gone to bed with an unresolved issue in my head then when I get out running the next morning within a few hundred yards things can be a lot clearer.”
Earlier this month Swinney signed up to track his mileage as part of the Doddie Aid 2025 challenge.
Set up in memory of Scotland rugby legend Doddie Weir, participants sign up to track their milage on an app and raise funds.
Swinney added: “I’ve done a 13.4 miles in January already, I’m quite pleased about that and but I’ve got a lot more to do and I’ll the occasional video.
“I always remember that consultant asking me that question and I’m glad I caught things early. I didn’t have my son Matthew at that time, I had my other two children and my wife, and it made me realise I had a responsibility to other people to look after myself.”
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