AS A MINISTER, an MSP and an SNP member, I believe the people of Scotland deserve a leader focused on priorities: cost of living, NHS, education and affordable housing.

I’m backing the experienced and principled John Swinney to deliver good, steady government. Enough of the political fireworks, vitriolic arguments, and game-playing that TV, tabloid newspapers and social media turn into a feeding frenzy. . . serious times demand John Swinney’s serious politics.

In resigning, Humza Yousaf praised both Scotland’s inspirational people and communities working to make life better, and the businesses and industries that would power our future. As First Minister, meeting friends and admirers of our nation around the world, he wished that every person in Scotland could take that role for a day and see Scotland as it truly is; then “they would vote for independence with both head and heart”.

Douglas Ross, self-satisfied with his part in bringing down Scotland’s first Muslim First Minister, once answered a similar question: what would he do if he were Prime Minister for a day? His answer: “See tougher enforcement against gypsy travellers”.

Facing Scotland is a choice: Labour – pro-Brexit and committed to an isolated, failing UK; the Tory legacy of austerity, Brexit and persecuting the most vulnerable; or the SNP, working for an aspirational, innovative, independent, international Scotland.

The toxic Tory brand and Labour’s moral weakness over a Gaza ceasefire played out in the English local elections in places most people in East Lothian have probably never even have heard of. Huge publicity surrounded the ‘celebrity’ West Midlands Mayor’s contest but the turnout, just 29.8 per cent, was lower than the 31.4 per cent turnout for the Preston Seton Gosford by-election here in 2022.

Labour is not the irresistible force spin doctors claim: its 34 per cent of the vote trails the 38 per cent Labour won under Ed Miliband in 2012. Tories lost 473 seats; fewer than half went to Labour. Starmer pretends power is about the two-party system, but the Lib Dems overtook the Tories, closely followed by independents. Yes, Labour controls 50 councils but the next largest group – 37 councils – have no overall control and, like Holyrood, they’ll require consensus.

The General Election “could produce a hung parliament” (Professor Michael Thrasher). With 25 years’ experience navigating multi-party democracy, and with John Swinney on the bridge, independence supporters can steer Scotland to a new future.