John Swinney says he is ‘raring to go’ for election at final session of FMQs

John Swinney declared he is “raring to go” for the Holyrood election as he came under fire from his rivals at First Minister’s Questions for the last time before the May vote.

The First Minister hit back as the Tories claimed he had been at “the heart” of a “dishonest, incompetent and sleazy SNP Government for almost two decades.

Labour joined in the attack, claiming that after the May 7 Scottish election the next five years “must be about recovery from John Swinney and the failing SNP”.

The clashes came as Holyrood sat for the final time ahead of the voters going to polls in six weeks’ time.

Mr Swinney said: “I’m just raring to go for the forthcoming election and to win it well for Scotland.”

But Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay accused him of being a “jaded, career politician”, going on to claim Mr Swinney has “become accustomed and immune to SNP dishonesty, incompetence and sleaze”.

He said the SNP has “betrayed” oil workers and “trashed” women’s rights, while the “useless Government’s dismal record” has seen classroom violence increasing while teacher numbers go down, and violent crime rise while police officer numbers fall.

Mr Findlay said the public want politicians to focus on improving the NHS and tackle the cost-of-living crisis, but Mr Swinney “only really cared” about Scottish independence.

“People are sick and tired of this damaging and divisive obsession,” the Tory said.

“They want politicians and Parliament to address their problems – the cost of living, the NHS, the economy, jobs.

“Why does John Swinney believe chasing independence is more important than these critical issues?”

Mr Swinney insisted his Government has “focused on the priorities of the people and on delivering improvements in the lives of the people of Scotland”.

He said while the SNP has made improvements – citing increases in free childcare and more affordable homes being built since the party came to power in 2007 – “damaging decisions” at Westminster have meant “people are finding times hard”.

Looking ahead to the election, the First Minister declared: “We have an opportunity on May 7 to have a fresh start with independence, and I intend to deliver it.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar meanwhile claimed the SNP in power had “lost its way” and taken Scotland “backwards”.

He said: “In almost every measure, things are worse now than they were five years ago.”

Mr Sarwar pointed to NHS waiting times, attainment in schools, homelessness and crime as examples, and added: “The SNP has had 20 years in power – if they knew how to fix the problems in our NHS, our schools and more, they would have done it by now.

“That’s why Scotland needs change and a new government.”

Mr Swinney however countered that Labour’s Westminster victory in 2024 had “led to failure after failure from the UK Government”.

With the Scottish Labour leader having called for Sir Keir Starmer to quit as Prime Minister, Mr Swinney insisted that showed Mr Sarwar “is a man of poor judgment”.

Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer used the final FMQs to push for free bus travel for everyone in Scotland – a policy his party will campaign on in the run up to the election.

He described free bus travel for under-22s – a measure introduced when the Greens were in power alongside the SNP – as being his party’s “proudest achievement of the last five years”.

He added: “We believe Scotland can be like Malta and Luxembourg and offer free bus travel to everyone.”

Mr Swinney responded by pointing to a £2 bus fare cap his Government is piloting in parts of Scotland, and the scrapping of peak rail fares.

“These are some of the measures the Scottish Government is taking to make sure that people are able to access public transport and have much greater choice about doing so,” the First Minister said.