John Swinney
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“Since the report from several years ago was published, the Government has presided over the passage of legislation to rationalise that area of activity. Work is under way to transfer the responsibility for the funding of further education student support from the Scottish Funding Council to the Student Awards Agency Scotland.”
“I appreciate the urgency of the general policy elements of the question, because a number of applications are now being considered by planning authorities. My view is that, given the concerns that have been expressed by planning authorities, the Government has to be responsive to the issue.”
“For as long as we do not have a proper strategy on prison capacity, rehabilitation and clearing the court backlog, early release will be a revolving door, with people going in, coming out and going back into our prisons. Our justice system is in crisis, so we need a strategy.”
“I associate myself unreservedly Mr Cole-Hamilton’s comments about the feelings in the Muslim community. On Monday, I visited the Broomhouse mosque along with Simita Kumar and the Annandale Street mosque in Edinburgh with Ben Macpherson.”
“The development of further guidance will be undertaken in a manner consistent with the ruling by Lady Ross. Malcolm Offord: I thank the First Minister for his answer, which was more comprehensive than I expected.”
“I am a huge supporter of apprenticeship programmes. With foundation apprenticeships and graduate apprenticeships, the Government has brought forward important reforms that create new and successful pathways for young people. I am determined to make sure that every young person has that desirable pathway for their future.”
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“Over the same period, the size of the waiting list for those waiting for new in-patient day-case procedures for more than 52 weeks reduced by 26.1 per cent. The plan that I put in place, backed by the resources that we have invested, which the Labour Party would not vote for, is now reducing waiting lists in our country. If Mr Sarwar wants to own the budget of the United Kingdom Government, he must own its consequences. Those consequences are that, today, people’s fuel bills are still higher than they were when Labour came into office; they are not lower, as Labour promised. There will be job losses in the north-east of Scotland, which Anas Sarwar will be responsible for, because of the actions of the Labour Government.”
“Anas Sarwar: —police stuck in accident and emergency departments and courts with John Swinney, or police on our streets and safer communities with me—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear Mr Sarwar. Anas Sarwar: They do not want to hear it, Presiding Officer. The choice is between long waiting lists with John Swinney or an NHS that is fit for the future with me. It is the past with John Swinney or the future with me and Scottish Labour. The First Minister: Okay. Let us start with waiting lists. My Government’s priority is to bring down waiting lists and, in particular, waiting lists involving long waits. Between April and October this year, the number of new out-patient waits of more than a year reduced by 17.9 per cent—for five consecutive months, waiting lists involving long waits fell.”
“An additional £10.3 billion for Scotland’s public services is a transformative amount of money, but the SNP cannot be trusted with people’s money. National health service waiting lists remain unacceptably high, our schools are falling down international league tables, police numbers are being cut and there is rising crime on our streets. That is why Scots are asking where the money has gone. That is why we cannot risk a third decade of the SNP and John Swinney. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear Mr Sarwar. Anas Sarwar: Is it not the case that, in May, Scots have a clear choice: more wasted money and wasted opportunities with John Swinney, or a Government that respects their money with me— [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Thank you, members.”
“There we have it—an average annual increase in our budget of £127 million, eaten up by an increase in employer national insurance contributions that was put in place by a Labour Government. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Members, thank you. The First Minister: This Government will do what it always does—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Thank you, members. The First Minister: We will concentrate our public expenditure on the priorities of the people of Scotland. Why does that matter? It matters because that delivers for the people of our country and demonstrates, as was proven by the credit rating agencies, that this country benefits from prudent fiscal management and prudent financial planning. That is what an SNP Government delivers. Anas Sarwar: I think that John Swinney needs to cheer up a little bit.”
“We decided to prioritise the introduction of the Scottish child payment—we were the only part of the United Kingdom to introduce such a measure; nothing similar exists in any other part of the United Kingdom—and we used the resources that we have raised in Scotland to make sure that that could be delivered, with the result that child poverty is falling in this country. Mr Sarwar talks about the increase in resources that are being made available. He is right: there will be extra resource funding of £510 million over a four-year period. However, the one-year increase in employer national insurance contributions in Scotland is estimated to come to about £400 million.”
“Given that £5.2 billion was received last year and was completely wasted by this incompetent and tired SNP Government, does that not prove that we need a change of Government in Scotland so that Scots can feel the benefit in our schools, hospitals, police and public services? The First Minister: Oh, he is trying awful hard today to get himself excited. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear one another. The First Minister: Let me set out to Mr Sarwar the choices that this Government made.”
“Anas Sarwar: The First Minister is delusional. For eight years, the SNP had the power to end the two-child cap but did nothing; UK Labour scrapped it after 18 months. The sad truth is that the SNP preferred the grievance. [Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Let us hear one another. Anas Sarwar: For two years, John Swinney has argued for income tax to rise in England and Wales. That would have led to a cut in Scotland’s budget, based on the fiscal framework that he himself negotiated. That proves that he has not got a clue. While he was arguing for Scotland’s budget to be cut, I was arguing for more investment, and the United Kingdom Labour Government delivered.”
“I thought that members of Parliament were supposed to keep up with what is said in Parliament. I have already welcomed the abolition of the two-child limit, because this Government shamed the Labour Party into action in the first place. Labour MPs have been trooping through the lobbies of the House of Commons to vote to keep the two-child limit since they came to office 18 months ago. It has been an absolute disgrace. I am glad that the Labour Party has realised that there is an election coming in May and that, possibly, a Labour Party driving up child poverty in the United Kingdom might not be a good look for the Labour Party in Scotland. However, I am very pleased to say to the people of Scotland that child poverty is falling in this country because of the actions of the Scottish National Party Government.”
“The Government is giving consideration to the implications of the United Kingdom Government’s budget for the Scottish budget. However, this morning, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government confirmed that the Scottish Government will not increase income tax rates or introduce any new bands. Russell Findlay: John Swinney stood on a manifesto promise not to raise income tax rates or bring in new bands—[Interruption.]”
“I share the concerns that Mr Kidd has set out to Parliament. The proposals run the risk of undermining the cohesion of our communities and pushing more people, including families with children, into poverty, destitution and increasing homelessness, and leaving local authorities to pick up the pieces. We need to take a sensitive approach to the whole question of asylum and immigration. Scotland is a welcoming country, and I want to make sure that that continues to be the case in the future. The Presiding Officer: I call Douglas Ross for a point of order.”
“The education secretary’s announcement set out the Government’s commitments in that respect and the progress that needs to be made. I answered a question on the subject from Mr Cole-Hamilton last week or the week before—in fact, it was last week, because I then went to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities conference in St Andrews, in Mr Rennie’s constituency, at which I set out the Government’s expectation that progress is to be made on class contact time. I hope that the education secretary’s proposals will help to advance the timescale for implementing those changes, because the last thing that I want to see is any industrial action in Scottish education. Asylum (United Kingdom Government Proposals)”
“I recognise that this is a sensitive issue. In 2023-24, the Government committed to undertaking a review of the legislation on abortion. The recommendations in the report are those of the expert group, and the Government fulfilled its commitment to publish those recommendations. We will, of course, give consideration to these issues, but that will have to involve extensive engagement with a broad range of stakeholders. The legitimate point that Mr Mason has raised will have to be central to the analysis of the issue, along with a range of other matters that will have to be considered in relation to any future actions that the Government may decide to take at some stage in the future. Teachers (Class Contact Time)”
“There is an important point underlying Mr Mountain’s question, which is that communities must have adequate and appropriate opportunities to be involved in decision making in that respect. I hope that that can be undertaken within the available timescales, but I will consider the specific point that Mr Mountain has made about the appropriateness of the 30-day timescale and will write to him in due course as to whether any flexibility can be applied. I cannot quite recall the status of the 30-day period, but I will check that and come back to him. Unborn Babies (Healthcare)”
“I give Mr Marra an undertaking that I will review the issue in January, once I have seen the conclusions of the work that NHS Tayside has committed to doing. At that point, I will address the point that Mr Marra has raised. We must expect the leadership of health boards to get on with meeting the challenges that they face. I am not dismissing Mr Marra’s suggestion, but I will return to it once I see what progress has been made by December. Planning Applications (Highlands)”
“I am sympathetic to Mr Marra’s point. I have constituents who are affected by the issue that he has raised, so I understand its significance. A whole range of external scrutiny has been undertaken and—frankly—that should be enough for all the action that is required to happen. Earlier this year, officials met the new chief executive and leadership team to understand how they were responding to the challenges. NHS Tayside is committed to addressing those challenges by December 2025, and it has already put many plans in place, including the adoption of a unified strategic approach in relation to the delivery of the service, consistent with the enhanced monitoring and scrutiny executive group. The next three months will be critical in that endeavour.”
“I agree with Fulton MacGregor’s point and recognise the importance of there being free-to-air television access for matches of that nature. I will be happy to ensure that ministers support and take forward Mr MacGregor’s representations. The Scottish Government has long called for national sporting events, such as men’s and women’s football qualifiers, to be protected for free-to-air broadcast. We will continue to make that case on behalf of fans across the country. It is a matter of enormous significance that all of us were able to experience the joyful scenes at Hampden on Tuesday evening. It should be free for members of the public to be able to see those events. NHS Tayside Mental”
“Any acts of violence are completely unacceptable in our society and individuals should not be perpetrating those attacks. The Cabinet Secretary for Transport is exploring measures around whether there are any circumstances in which there is a reason or justification for restricting access to public transport concessionary travel as a consequence of any behaviour. Policing in our communities is an essential part of that endeavour but, fundamentally, it is about how individuals behave. Any act of violence is unacceptable in our society. Free-to-air”
“The Scottish Government engaged when it was apparent that ExxonMobil was marketing the site, but the announcement that was made this week was one that the Government did not expect to be happening on such a short timescale. We will sustain our engagement with the company as a consequence. Antisocial Behaviour on”
“We will continue our engagement with the company and the trade unions to identify approaches that will help to support the workforce—Ms Ewing’s constituents—who are severely affected by the announcement was made. The Scottish Government will do all that we can within our powers to support those who are affected.”
“I share Annabelle Ewing’s concern about the lack of intervention from the UK Government when it is able to intervene in other situations in other parts of the UK. She puts on the record the comments from ExxonMobil about what led to the decision, and the unsympathetic and unhelpful actions of the UK Government. The Scottish Government will do the following things: we will provide direct support to the workforce who are affected, through the partnership action on continuing employment. We will take forward measures that arise from the work that we are doing in Grangemouth to find alternative opportunities for industrial sites. Details of that work were shared with the Parliament on Tuesday by the Deputy First Minister.”
“It is vital that those services are available. However, fundamentally, we have to take decisions about the sustainability of services as they relate to individual parts of the country where demand for services lies. I will look at the details of what Miles Briggs has raised with me. Obviously, the Government is focused on ensuring that we have sustainable public services in place, which includes the national health service.”
“In that respect, we saw the number of hip and knee operations reach an all-time high in 2024, which is really welcome. In the 12 months to September 2025, there was an increase in the number of operations performed compared with the previous year. In September 2025, the number of operations performed was nearly 14 per cent higher than it was in September 2024. What we are going to do is exactly what I and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care are focused on: we are going to deliver for the people of Scotland, which is what this Government always does.”
“Given that the Scottish National Party has been in power for almost two decades—almost 20 years—how does he plan to convince the Scottish public that the SNP should be in charge of our most valued public asset, the NHS, for another five years? The First Minister: Carol Mochan asked a question that made absolutely no reference to the impact of the pandemic. The global pandemic resulted in a period of almost two years in which scheduled care essentially had to be paused to enable us to sustain the national health service. Carol Mochan’s party leader just asked me about Covid, and yet she has asked me a question about the performance of the NHS that takes no account of Covid. I am intensely focused on making sure that we improve the recovery of the NHS.”
“The Government is responding to that information by maintaining its focus on improving the delivery of the national health service. We have seen waits, particularly the longest waits, reduce for four months in a row. There is more to be done, and the Government is making the necessary investment in reducing those waiting times. We are beginning to see the effect of that in the data that is available to us. Carol Mochan: When the First Minister’s party first took office in 2007, following eight years of a Labour-led Government, 83 per cent of Scots were satisfied with the NHS. That figure is now just 61 per cent. Does the First Minister agree that a failure to show leadership and very poor decision making have led us to this situation?”
“However, the wider pattern is that, in 2024, the number of casualties as a result of a road traffic accident was the fifth lowest on record and the third lowest outside the pandemic years, and, compared with the 2014-18 baseline, there has been a reduction in road deaths, serious injuries, child fatalities and serious injuries among children. I acknowledge that more has to be done, and the Government is taking forward that work.”
“Far too many families are grieving the loss of loved ones. The main road through Moray is the A96, which the Scottish National Party promised to dual years ago. It has launched countless consultations but has failed to dual a single mile of that road. Will the First Minister say whether it is still the SNP’s policy to fully dual the A96 from Aberdeen to Inverness, and if it is, will he tell us when it will be done? The First Minister: That remains the Scottish Government’s policy position. In my initial answer, I acknowledged the significance and seriousness of road casualties. I acknowledge that the data in Moray shows a significant increase.”
“Any death or serious injury on our roads is a tragedy, and I offer my sympathies to everyone affected by the loss of a loved one. The Scottish Government is taking forward measures on road safety, including investing £48 million in road safety this year, which is a 33 per cent increase on last year’s amount, and supporting engineering improvements, education and enforcement nationwide. I recognise that more work has to be done, and the Government will continue working with partners to reduce harm and keep communities safe. Douglas Ross: This is road safety week, but those figures confirm that Scotland’s roads are getting more dangerous—more people are dying or being seriously injured on Scotland’s roads, and the figures for Moray are shocking and devastating. In the past year, 43 people have been killed or seriously injured on our roads.”
“She further reiterated that the Scottish Government has always supported the WASPI campaign and that compensation must be delivered now to right that historic wrong. Road Deaths and Serious Injuries (Moray) 5.”
“Will the First Minister provide any update on the Scottish Government’s latest engagement with the UK Government on steps being taken to set this injustice right, and will he join me in calling on Labour to immediately honour the recommendations of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and deliver full compensation for WASPI women now? The First Minister: I echo and support that call from Clare Haughey. The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice wrote to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions the day after his announcement, asking for the earliest possible clarification of when exactly UK ministers were first made aware of the new evidence, and urged him to complete the review at pace.”
“We welcome the UK Government’s long-overdue announcement to reconsider the decision on compensation for women born in the 1950s who were impacted by the maladministration of the changes to state pension age. Around 336,000 women in Scotland were impacted, and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman recommended that they should receive compensation of up to £2,950 each. The Scottish Government has and always will support the WASPI campaign, and I urge the UK Government to finally do the right thing and compensate the women affected now. Clare Haughey: It is welcome that the Labour UK Government has been forced into this latest U- turn, and it is vital that it stops dragging its feet. WASPI women have waited long enough, with many having died while waiting for justice.”
“That is clearly damaging, and the Mossmorran leadership has ascribed to it a contribution to the damage to employment that has been experienced at Mossmorran. Women Against State Pension Inequality (Compensation) 4.”
“The First Minister: The Government has taken forward a number of steps in relation to the work that has emerged from Grangemouth on identifying low-carbon solutions and economic opportunities for Scotland. That is what the Government has done. A range of business opportunities and projects have been developed by Scottish Enterprise and are designed to address the need to provide sustained employment in the Mossmorran area. Those ideas and arguments are central to the propositions that we can take forward. They are part of the Government’s transition to net zero and to a just transition, but they happen in the context of the damage that is being done to the whole process by the perpetuation of the energy profits levy.”
“The Government made a commitment to the workers and their community, and it is clear that it has done nothing to fulfil it. The Scottish Greens have pushed for that just transition plan for years. In 2022, Fife’s Green MSP, Mark Ruskell, published plans that he developed. He has held summits that have brought together workers, their unions and the wider community, and he pushed Government ministers to make that commitment in the spring of last year, but we have heard nothing since—not even in the climate change plan that was published earlier this month, despite Mossmorran being responsible for 10 per cent of Scotland’s emissions. Can the First Minister name a single thing that the Government has done specifically for the workers at Mossmorran since announcing that it would develop a just transition plan for them 18 months ago?”
“The work that the Government is undertaking, as set out by the Deputy First Minister on Tuesday, is focused on learning from the experience of what we are taking forward in Grangemouth and on the business ventures and developments that can come forward, supported by Scottish Enterprise, to enable us to assist companies and individuals to meet the just transition. That is the work that the Government is taking forward as a consequence of the very damaging decision that was taken on Tuesday. We will support that activity with the assistance and the intervention that the Government has set out. Ross Greer: It is quite clear from that answer that the reality is that there is no plan and the Scottish Government has broken its promise to the workers at Mossmorran.”
“They will carry on happening under my leadership, because I am determined to support our population to recover from Covid. Mossmorran (Just Transition Plan) 3.”
“I can reassure Mr Sarwar that, under my leadership, the scale of national health service activity is increasing in order to tackle those very issues. We had more than 10,000 extra out-patient attendances in September compared with August. Activity in our national health service has increased: from April to September 2025, there were over 31,000 more appointments and procedures than in the same period in 2024. We are now seeing the total list size and the longest waits coming down. We are also treating more people, with activity increasing significantly compared with last month and last year. The actions that Mr Sarwar is calling for—of increased NHS activity, increased numbers of procedures and increased solutions for the people of Scotland—are happening, and they are happening under my leadership.”
“Is it not clear that we cannot afford another five years of this and that Scotland needs to recover from John Swinney and the Scottish National Party? The First Minister: One of the many flaws in the argument that Mr Sarwar has just put to me is that he is comparing this moment today with the start of this parliamentary session. At the start of this session, the country was still dealing with Covid. We were still in the midst of Covid. We still had a pause—for at least a year beyond the start of this session—on routine scheduled cases because of the priority to sustain the national health service during that period. The idea that Mr Sarwar is comparing like with like ignores—as he always does—the reality of the Covid pandemic and its significant disruption.”
“John Swinney was the Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery, and this was supposed to be the Parliament’s Covid recovery session, but look at where we are. In one month at the start of this parliamentary session, 16,798 Scots waited for four hours in accident and emergency; now 45,639 are waiting. At the start of this session, 1,810 waited in A and E for eight hours; now 15,821 are waiting. At the start of this session, 96,053 people were waiting for in-patient treatment; now 155,849 are waiting. At the start of this session, 391,938 were waiting for an out-patient appointment; now 559,077 are waiting. John Swinney promised recovery and he delivered catastrophe. He has a shameful record, and it is one that he cannot delete.”
“I have been very clear that I regret the suffering that individuals experienced during the Covid pandemic. It did enormous damage to people, including those who lost loved ones, and to our society, and we are still dealing with the consequences of it. I understand the scale of the impact and the damage that was done. As I have indicated, the Government will listen carefully to the inquiry and respond accordingly to the recommendations that it makes as we seek to learn lessons from a traumatic period in the country’s history. Anas Sarwar: We do not need clinical advice to know not to send Covid-positive patients into care homes. Right across the country, people have the common sense not to visit their granny when they have a cold, never mind putting Covid-positive patients into care homes.”
“That is now being investigated by the police. We do not need clinical advice to know that sending people with the virus to live with those who are the most vulnerable to it would lead to deaths. Will John Swinney apologise for that disastrous and catastrophic decision? The First Minister: As I indicated in my first answer, at the time, ministers were dealing with an evolving situation during which advice was being formulated by scientific experts. Clinical experts were assessing the right judgments to be made in dealing with an emerging and fast-changing situation. Ministers were open with the Parliament about the dilemmas and challenges that were involved. Those decisions were subjected to scrutiny by the Parliament and, of course, they are now being subjected to scrutiny by the Covid-19 inquiry.”
“All the actions that I took regarding information were consistent with Scottish Government policy. Anas Sarwar: John Swinney was the Deputy First Minister who deliberately deleted evidence, which is shameful and unforgivable. He was the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills who shamefully downgraded the exam results of working-class kids, and he was the Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery who failed to deliver any recovery. The most devastating decision that was made by ministers was to send untested and Covid- positive patients into care homes, even when it was known that older people were the most vulnerable to the virus. More than 100 Covid- positive patients and more than 3,000 untested patients were sent into care homes. The devastating consequence was that more than 4,000 people in care homes died of Covid.”
“Covid-19 was incredibly difficult for everyone. I express my heartfelt sympathies to everyone who lost a loved one during the pandemic and to those who suffered a tremendous level of disruption to their lives. At all times, ministers’ actions were based on the best information that was available to them at the time. I have set out to the Covid-19 inquiry the basis of the decision making with which I was involved. The Scottish Government took those decisions incredibly seriously to ensure that we took the necessary action to protect the population at a time when we had no guidebook on what we were dealing with. We supported establishing a public inquiry so that all Governments can learn the necessary lessons for the future. That is exactly what the Scottish Government will do.”
“The reason John Swinney did not produce one is because he instead fixates on net zero policies that will hit Scots in the pocket, such as fining householders £15,000 if they do not get rid of their gas boilers. Scotland’s oil and gas infrastructure is being decimated because of Government policies, Last week, alongside Kemi Badenoch, I held a round-table discussion with leading figures in the oil and gas industry, who all say that the most damaging policy that threatens jobs is the energy profits levy. [Interruption.]”
“It is absolutely vital that we take forward measures to ensure a just transition, which means that we must manage the issues that confront us in relation to the future of the North Sea oil and gas sector and the implications for other communities. On Tuesday, the Government signalled our determination to use the learning that has come from the work that we are undertaking on Grangemouth and apply it to the situation at Mossmorran to provide every support that we can to the employees, who are facing a very difficult future as a consequence of Tuesday’s announcement. Russell Findlay: Where is the Mossmorran transition plan that was promised?”
“I begin by expressing my warmest congratulations to Steve Clarke and the Scotland squad. It was an absolute privilege to be present at Hampden park on Tuesday night and to see such an exciting football game with spectacular goals. The Scotland national team has brought joy to everyone in Scotland and I pay warm tribute to the players for what they achieved on Tuesday. [Applause.] Russell Findlay raises important issues about the future of employment in Scotland. We in the Government will do everything that we can to support the workforce at ExxonMobil in light of the challenges that are now being faced as a consequence of the decision in connection with the Mossmorran plant.”
“The Presiding Officer: That concludes First Minister’s question time.”
“Let me make it clear that there is absolutely no place for violence in our schools in any way, shape or form. The Government’s behaviour guidance, which has been constructed in collaboration with local authorities and trade unions, is designed to enable us to address those issues. Many of the techniques that Mr Kerr talked about—education on violence and the danger of carrying knives, for example—are taken forward in our school system. The mentors in violence prevention programme and the steps that are taken in relation to the no knives, better lives campaign are all shared in our schools. I reinforce the importance that the Government attaches to education and measures of that type to ensure that pupil behaviour does not result in tragedies such as the loss of Bailey Gwynne, which is at the heart of Mr Kerr’s question.”
“It is a key focus of my Government to improve economic opportunity. We are now seeing very distinct patterns of unemployment between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. We continue to have substantial success in growing the economy and attracting investment. The credit rating score that we achieved last night from Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s, which is the best rating that we could possibly have achieved, is a tribute to the strength of the Scottish economy, the strength of this Government’s fiscal management and the strength of the institutions that we have at our disposal. It is good news for Scotland, and it is a proud day for our country. Violence in”
“The Presiding Officer: We will have two further brief supplementary questions. Economy and”
“I understand the difficulties that have been experienced. I understand that cars are now able to be taken on the MV Isle of Lewis, which is the ferry operating on the Ullapool to Stornoway route. In addition, CalMac has put on additional sailings of the MV Hebrides between Uig and Tarbert. I accept that that involves a longer journey for travellers from Lewis, but CalMac has provided additional capacity on that route. We are going through the winter maintenance period and operating to a winter timetable where there are fewer sailings. However, CalMac will be working—and the Cabinet Secretary for Transport is deeply engaged in all these questions—to make sure that effective and sustainable services are available to all island communities. The Government will be actively working to ensure that that is the case.”