Cole-Hamilton responds to SNP leadership news

Responding to the news that Kate Forbes will not stand in the SNP leadership race, paving the way for John Swinney to be the next SNP leader and First Minister, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said:

"If he is the presumptive leader of his party, then I congratulate him. But this is a candidate with more baggage than an airport carousel.

"For more than two decades, John Swinney has been complicit in every moment of the SNP's division, neglect and failure.

“He was Salmond’s right-hand man, he was Sturgeon’s right-hand man. He was in charge of the pandemic exams chaos and deleted his WhatsApps, denying the Covid bereaved the answers they deserve.

“Scotland has been divided for so long- that's why Liberal Democrats want to bring people back together. It's why we want to put Scotland at the heart of Britain and fix our broken relationship with Europe.

"We want to help everyone who can't get a GP appointment or see an NHS dentist, support our schools, deliver for business and get islanders the ferries they have been denied."