John Swinney has been crowned the new one SNP leader today after nominations in the party's election to replace Humza Yousaf closed without him being challenged.
Shortly after the afternoon deadline, it was announced that Mr Swinney had left unopposed after SNP figures moved to avoid another divisive leadership battle.
Following his confirmation as the new leader of the SNP, Mr Swinney will become Scotland's next First Minister in the coming days – replacing Mr Yousaf.
He will face a vote at Holyrood later this week, where he is likely to become the Scottish Parliament's nominated candidate to become the country's seventh first minister.
Mr Swinney is expected to make his first speech as the new leader of the SNP later today.
He posted on social media that he was “very honored” to have been chosen and vowed to “give everything I have to serve my party and my country.”
Mr Yousaf called for SNP unity in the wake of Mr Swinney's election, following the party's chaos in recent months.
He said in a video on social media that it was 'now time for every SNP member to stand right behind John Swinney'.
“Stand behind his message of being united for independence,” he added in a congratulatory message to his “fantastic friend” Mr Swinney.
The SNP said in a statement: 'The SNP nomination process closed at 12 noon today. The party's national secretary, Lorna Finn, has subsequently confirmed John Swinney MSP as the new SNP leader.'
Party activist Graeme McCormick said yesterday he had secured the 100 nominations from 20 SNP branches needed to run against Mr Swinney.
But he later confirmed he had withdrawn from a leadership challenge after “long and fruitful” discussions with Mr Swinney.
Swinney had previously warned that an outright fight could damage the party's chances of recovering from a “difficult” period.
John Swinney was today crowned the new SNP leader after nominations in the party's contest to replace Humza Yousaf closed without him being challenged.
The SNP was forced to look for a third new leader in just over a year after Mr Yousaf, who replaced Nicola Sturgeon in March 2023, announced his resignation last Monday.
Mr Swinney posted on social media that he was “very honoured” to have been chosen and that he vowed to “give everything I have to serve my party and my country”.
Keith Brown, the SNP's deputy leader, said this morning that the “field is clearing” ahead of Mr Swinney's expected coronation.
“It looks like the field is being cleared somewhat and it looks like John Swinney could be the only nominee,” he told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland.
Mr Brown described Mr Swinney as the “big hitter in the SNP” who would scare unionist parties “in a big way”.
The SNP was forced to look for a third new leader in just over a year after Mr Yousaf, who replaced Nicola Sturgeon in March 2023, announced his resignation last Monday.
It came after the outgoing First Minister caused a meltdown in Holyrood by ending the SNP's power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens.
This blew up in Mr Yousaf's face when the Greens subsequently turned on him and vowed to vote in favor of his eviction from Bute House.
Mr Yousaf subsequently resigned to avoid the embarrassment of losing a vote of no confidence.
Kate Forbes, the former Scottish Chancellor of the Exchequer who came second to Mr Yousaf in the SNP leadership race last year, was expected to run again.
But last week she confirmed she would not compete against Mr Swinney, who praised her and said she would get an 'important' job in his team.
The Scottish Government Cabinet will meet on Tuesday, with MSPs later given the opportunity to choose a new First Minister at some point in the Holyrood programme.
Mr Swinney would then have to take three oaths of office at the Court of Session in Edinburgh before officially becoming Prime Minister.
The 60-year-old, who has been an MSP since the Scottish Parliament was formed in 1999, was Sturgeon's deputy first minister for almost nine years.
The Perthshire North MSP was also SNP leader between 2000 and 2004, resigning after a poor performance in the European elections.
When he decided not to run for leadership last year, he said it was time for a new generation to take over.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross urged Swinney to “govern for all of Scotland by giving up his ruthless drive for independence.”
Ross insisted his party would seek to 'hold John Swinney to account if he lets the Scottish people down – just as we did with Humza Yousaf'.
“It is difficult to see how he can be the fresh start that Scotland needs when he is the ultimate continuity candidate,” he added.
'John Swinney was joined at the hip to the disgraced Nicola Sturgeon and his fingerprints are all over her numerous policy failures and cover-ups.'
With Mr Swinney having previously led the SNP between 2000 and 2004, Mr Ross then wondered whether a 'failed former leader of 20 years ago – who as Education Secretary sent Scotland tumbling down the international rankings' was the best person was to lead. the country.
Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar said: 'John Swinney's coronation is all about governing the SNP, rather than about governing our country and delivering results for Scotland.
'At a time when Scotland is crying out for change, the SNP is offering more of the same.
'John Swinney has been at the heart of this incompetent government for seventeen years and at the heart of the SNP for forty years.'
'From presiding over the exam results scandal as Education Secretary to destroying the public finances as Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Swinney's record is one of failure.
“This is a conspiracy by a chaotic and dysfunctional party more interested in protecting its own interests than serving the interests of the Scottish people.”