John Swinney has been sworn in as Scotland’s new First Minister and is expected to appoint his Cabinet later in the day.
At a ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Wednesday morning, Mr. Swinney made the statutory declarations and was given the official title of First Minister and Keeper of the Scottish Seal.
Scotland’s most senior judge, Lord President Lord Carloway, presided over the ceremony. Mr Swinney raised his right hand and bowed his head as Lord Carloway read out the three oaths of office – as First Minister, Keeper of the Great Seal and the Oath of Allegiance to the King. The Lord President then addressed the court on the independence of the judiciary.
Mr Swinney’s family, including his wife Elizabeth, brother David and 13-year-old son Matthew, accompanied him to court. Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Mr. Swinney said being sworn in was an “overwhelming moment” and spoke of his pride in being First Minister and the support of his family.
Asked about former finance minister Kate Forbes, who announced after speaking to him that she would not fight him for the SNP leadership and whether she would have a role in his cabinet, Mr. Swinney said:
I’m a man of my word.
After being voted in favour at Holyrood on Tuesday, the North Perthshire MP pledged to devote himself fully to the job. He became the seventh person to hold the post of First Minister since the Scottish Parliament was created 25 years ago. He became first minister after his predecessor Humza Yousaf stepped down.
Mr. Swinney said it was an “extraordinary privilege” to become Scotland’s new first minister and pledged to “give everything I have” to the role. He shook hands with opposition leaders in the Scottish Parliament chamber after the vote.
Mr. Swinney told the other parties at Holyrood:
If we want to fund our schools and hospitals, if we want to give our businesses a competitive edge, if we want to tackle climate action, if we want to eradicate child poverty, if we want to change people’s lives for the better, we have got to work together to do so.
