Veteran politician John Swinney is poised to become Scotland’s first minister this week after being appointed leader of the Scottish National party.
Swinney, who led the party in the early 2000s, is expected to face a vote in parliament as early as Tuesday as he seeks to reunite the SNP and face off a rising challenge from Scottish Labour in the upcoming general election.
At an event in Glasgow on Monday, he reiterated his “moderate, centre-left” policy agenda, calling on other parties in parliament, even unionists who disagree with the SNP over independence, to work with him and find “common cause” as he seeks to govern as a minority administration.