2000 Scottish National Party leadership election

Last updated

2000 Scottish National Party leadership election
←  1990 23 September 2000 2003  →
  Official Portrait of John Swinney.jpg AlexNeilMSP20110507.jpg
Candidate John Swinney Alex Neil
Popular vote547268
Percentage67.1%32.9%
Leader before election

Alex Salmond

Elected Leader

John Swinney

There was a Scottish National Party leadership election to choose the new National Convener of the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 2000. The election followed the announcement by SNP Leader Alex Salmond, that he would be stepping down as SNP leader in 2000. Salmond's announcement came in the face of internal criticism after a series of high-profile fall-outs with party members. [1] Elections were also held for the position of Depute Leader. [2]

Contents

The election saw John Swinney become National Convener, and Roseanna Cunningham become Depute Leader. [2]

National Convener election

Candidates

Two candidates presented themselves for election; SNP Depute Leader and spokesman on enterprise and lifelong learning, John Swinney; and the SNP vice-convener for policy and social security spokesman, Alex Neil. Swinney was simultaneously serving as both an MP and MSP, and Neil was a serving MSP. [2]

Issues

Whilst both candidates supported the position of the SNP on the centre-left, Neil was seen as the more left-wing of the two, and individuals associated with the Neil campaign argued that a Swinney administration would drag the SNP to the right. [2]

In someways the fight was seen as being between the SNP's Fundamentalists and gradualists. Swinney was seen as representing the SNP gradualist wing, advocating devolution as a stepping stone towards Scottish independence. Neil however was far more critical and suspicious of devolution, viewing it as a means of undermining the case for independence, and was more forceful in pushing for a party emphasis on Scottish independence. [2] Swinney, as a gradualist, argued that independence could only follow a successful vote in a referendum, whilst Neil believed that an SNP victory would be enough to secure negotiations for independence. [3]

Both candidates opposed trident, and were largely pro-European Union. Swinney however advocated joining the Euro at the earliest opportunity, whilst Neil believed pre-emptive joining of the Euro could undermine Scottish jobs. Swinney also favoured greater European integration on issues such as defence, whilst Neil favoured a weaker EU, and opposed the pooling of defence forces. [2]

Results

Voting system

Each SNP branch sent delegates to the election, with larger branches sending more members. Some 700 delegates had the right to vote. [2]

Results

Leadership

The result of the election was announced at the party conference on 23 September. John Swinney won the election by 547 votes to 268. [4]

CandidateDelegate votes
Votes %
John Swinney Green check.svg547
67.1%
Alex Neil 268
32.9%
Depute
First round
CandidateVotes [5]
Votes %
Roseanna Cunningham 391
48.2%
Kenny MacAskill 312
38.5%
Peter Kearney Red x.svg108
13.3%
Second round
CandidateVotes [5]
Votes %
Roseanna Cunningham Green check.svg457
58.6%
Kenny MacAskill 323
41.4%
Treasurer
CandidateDelegate votes [5]
Votes %
Jim Mather Green check.svg632
78.9%
Ian Blackford 143
17.9%
Jim Wright26
3.2%

Endorsements

John Swinney

Alex Neil

Related Research Articles

The Scottish National Party is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party. The party holds 63 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament and 43 out of the 59 Scottish seats in the House of Commons in Westminster. It has 453 local councillors of 1,227.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Neil (politician)</span> Scottish politician (born 1951)

Alexander Neil is a Scottish politician who served as Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing from 2012 to 2014 and Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Communities and Pensioners' Rights from 2014 to 2016. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he was the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Airdrie and Shotts constituency from 2011 until his retirement in 2021.

James Sillars is a Scottish politician and campaigner for Scottish independence. Sillars served as a Labour Party MP for South Ayrshire from 1970 to 1976. He founded and led the pro-Scottish Home Rule Scottish Labour Party in 1976, continuing as MP for South Ayrshire until he lost the seat in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Swinney</span> First Minister of Scotland since 2024

John Ramsay Swinney is a Scottish politician who has served as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since May 2024. He previously served as the leader of the SNP from 2000 to 2004 as Leader of the Opposition, and held various roles within the Scottish Cabinet from 2007 to 2023 under First Ministers Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. Swinney was Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for North Tayside from 1999 to 2011 and, following boundary changes, has been MSP for Perthshire North since 2011. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Tayside North from 1997 to 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny MacAskill</span> Alba Party politician

Kenneth Wright MacAskill is a Scottish politician who was Member of Parliament (MP) for East Lothian from 2019 to 2024. He previously served as Cabinet Secretary for Justice from 2007 to 2014 and was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) from 1999 to 2016. A former member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), he defected to the Alba Party in 2021 and currently serves as the party's depute leader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roseanna Cunningham</span> Scottish politician

Roseanna Cunningham is a retired Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who served as Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform from 2016 to 2021. She was previously Cabinet Secretary for Fair Work, Skills and Training from 2014 until 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angus Robertson</span> Scottish politician (born 1969)

Angus Struan Carolus Robertson is a Scottish politician serving as the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture since 2021. Formerly Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from 2016 to 2018, he has served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Edinburgh Central since 2021. Robertson previously served as a Westminster MP for Moray from 2001 to 2017, where he served from 2007 to 2017 as the Leader of the SNP in the House of Commons.

Alasdair Neil Morgan is a former Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He was Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party from 1990 to 1991 and served in the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale from 1997 to 2001. He was elected in 1999 as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale. From 2003 to 2011, he served as a member for the South of Scotland region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Crawford</span> Scottish politician (born 1955)

Robert Hardie Bruce Crawford is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician who served as Cabinet Secretary for Parliamentary Business and Government Strategy from 2011 to 2012, having held the junior ministerial position of Minister for Parliamentary Business from 2007 to 2011. Crawford served as the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Stirling from 2007 to 2021, having previously represented the Mid Scotland and Fife region 1999–2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Grahame</span> Scottish National Party politician

Christine Grahame is a Scottish politician who served as a Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament from 2016 to 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale constituency since 2011, having previously represented the South of Scotland region from 1999 to 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiona Hyslop</span> Scottish politician (born 1964)

Fiona Jane Hyslop is a Scottish politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Transport since 2024. Hyslop has served in various offices under first ministers Salmond, Sturgeon, Yousaf and Swinney; as education secretary, culture secretary, and economy secretary as well as in junior ministerial roles. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Linlithgow constituency since 2011, having represented the Lothians region from 1999 to 2011.

In Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP) is a left social democratic political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. The SNP has controlled Scotland's devolved legislature since the 2007 election as a minority government, and were a majority government from the 2011 election and have been a minority government, since the 2016 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela Constance</span> Scottish Justice & Home Affairs Secretary

Angela Constance is a Scottish politician serving as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs since 2023. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Almond Valley since 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kay Ullrich</span> Scottish politician (1943–2021)

Catherine Mario Ullrich was a Scottish politician who was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the West of Scotland region from 1999 to 2003. A prominent member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she was an early supporter of the political career of Nicola Sturgeon, who later became First Minister of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Brown (Scottish politician)</span> Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party

Keith James Brown is a Scottish politician serving as Depute Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) since 2018. He is a former Royal Marines commando and has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) since 2007, first representing the Ochil constituency from 2007 to 2011, then the Clackmannanshire and Dunblane constituency since 2011. Brown previously served in the Scottish Cabinet, most recently as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans from 2021 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Salmond</span> First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014

Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond is a Scottish politician, economist and television host, who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure in the Scottish nationalist movement, he has served as Leader of the Alba Party since 2021. Salmond was leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), on two occasions, from 1990 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2014. He served as the party's depute leader from 1987 to 1990. Salmond hosted The Alex Salmond Show (2017–2022) on RT UK. He currently hosts Scotland Speaks with Alex Salmond (2023–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Scottish National Party leadership election</span> Leadership election in the Scottish National Party (SNP)

The 2014 Scottish National Party leadership election was held to choose the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and First Minister of Scotland, following the resignation of Alex Salmond as first minister and leader. Nicola Sturgeon emerged as the only candidate and was elected unopposed as leader of the SNP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 Scottish National Party leadership election</span> Scottish National Party (SNP) leadership election

There was a Scottish National Party leadership election in 2003 following a challenge to John Swinney's position as National Convener of the Scottish National Party (SNP). Swinney defeated his challenger, although his victory would be short lived, and he would step down the following year following an unsuccessful European election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Scottish National Party leadership election</span> Scottish National Party (SNP) leadership election

The 2004 Scottish National Party leadership election was held following the resignation of John Swinney as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP). Nominations opened on 22 June, with three candidates nominated, and voting began on 13 August. This was the first election where all party members could vote. The results were announced on 3 September; Alex Salmond defeated Roseanna Cunningham and Michael Russell, with more than 75% of votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alba Party</span> Scottish political party

The Alba Party is a Scottish nationalist and pro-independence political party in Scotland, founded in February 2021, led by former first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond. Salmond launched the party's 2021 Scottish Parliament election campaign in March 2021, with the party standing list-only candidates. Two members of Parliament (MPs) in the UK House of Commons defected from the Scottish National Party (SNP) to the Alba Party on 27 March 2021, and member of the Scottish parliament Ash Regan defected on 28 October 2023. Several former SNP MPs also joined the party. To date no Alba Party candidate has been elected at any election.

References

  1. ↑ "Scramble to lead SNP as Salmond quits". The Telegraph . 18 July 2000. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Taylor, Brian (21 September 2000). "Tussle for the top". BBC News.
  3. ↑ Taylor, Brian (21 September 2000). "Filling the room at the top". BBC News.
  4. ↑ "Emphatic SNP win for Swinney". BBC News. 23 September 2000.
  5. 1 2 3 p.44-45
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.