The SNP leadership is currently held by John Swinney, who became leader of the Scottish National Party on May 7, 2024, following the resignation of Humza Yousaf, making Swinney the eighth person to lead the party and notably his second time serving as SNP leader. The Scottish National Party, founded in 1934, is Scotland’s largest political party by membership and the dominant force in Scottish politics, having governed Scotland continuously since 2007 through the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood. The question of SNP leadership has been one of the most closely watched political stories in the United Kingdom in recent years, with dramatic leadership transitions, internal party tensions, and the evolving fortunes of the Scottish independence movement all converging to create a period of significant upheaval and transformation. In this comprehensive article, you will learn about every SNP leader from the party’s founding to the present day, the leadership election process, the party’s governing structure, the impact of each leader on Scottish politics and the independence movement, the controversies and challenges that have shaped the party’s trajectory, and the future direction of SNP leadership. Whether you are a student of Scottish politics, a voter seeking to understand the party’s evolution, a journalist covering UK affairs, or simply curious about one of the most consequential political movements in modern British history, this guide provides an exhaustive, authoritative examination of SNP leadership across nine decades.
Current SNP Leader
John Swinney became the leader of the Scottish National Party on May 7, 2024, after being the only candidate nominated following the resignation of Humza Yousaf. He was simultaneously appointed as First Minister of Scotland on May 8, 2024, becoming the sixth person to hold that office since the Scottish Parliament was established in 1999. Swinney had previously served as SNP leader from 2000 to 2004 and held numerous senior cabinet positions under both Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, making him one of the most experienced figures in Scottish politics. His return to the leadership was widely seen as a stabilizing move for a party that had experienced significant turbulence following the resignations of both Sturgeon and Yousaf in quick succession.
Swinney’s appointment came during a particularly challenging period for the SNP, with the party facing declining poll numbers, the fallout from a police investigation into party finances, and internal divisions over policy direction and the strategy for achieving Scottish independence. As leader, he has sought to project an image of competence, calm, and unity, drawing on his decades of experience in government and party management. His leadership style contrasts with the more confrontational approach of some of his predecessors, emphasizing pragmatism and cross-party cooperation where possible while maintaining the party’s core commitment to independence. The circumstances of his ascension — unopposed after no other candidate came forward — raised questions about the depth of the party’s leadership bench but also demonstrated the respect and trust Swinney commands within the SNP membership and parliamentary group.
History of the SNP
The Scottish National Party has a rich and complex history stretching back nearly a century, during which it transformed from a fringe political movement into the dominant force in Scottish politics and the government of Scotland.
Founding and Early Years
The Scottish National Party was formed on April 7, 1934, through the merger of two earlier organizations: the National Party of Scotland (founded in 1928) and the Scottish Party (founded in 1932). The merger was intended to unite the Scottish nationalist movement under a single political banner, though internal tensions between moderates who sought home rule within the United Kingdom and radicals who demanded full independence persisted for decades. The party’s early years were marked by electoral irrelevance, with the SNP struggling to win seats or attract significant voter support in a Scottish political landscape dominated by Labour, the Conservatives, and the Liberals. The first SNP Member of Parliament was Robert McIntyre, who won a by-election in Motherwell in April 1945 but lost the seat just weeks later in the general election of July 1945. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, the SNP remained a marginal force, though it kept the flame of Scottish self-governance alive during a period when the idea had little mainstream political traction.
Rise in the 1960s and 1970s
The SNP’s fortunes began to change dramatically in the 1960s and 1970s, driven by a combination of growing Scottish national consciousness, dissatisfaction with the UK’s economic performance, and the discovery of North Sea oil off the Scottish coast. Winnie Ewing’s stunning victory in the Hamilton by-election of November 1967, in which she overturned a massive Labour majority, sent shockwaves through British politics and put the SNP on the national map. The party’s famous “It’s Scotland’s Oil” campaign in the early 1970s argued that revenues from North Sea oil were being siphoned away by Westminster to benefit England, a message that resonated powerfully with Scottish voters. In the February 1974 general election, the SNP won seven seats, and in the October 1974 election, this surged to 11 seats with over 30 percent of the Scottish vote — the party’s best result to that point. However, the failed devolution referendum of March 1979, in which a narrow majority voted for a Scottish Assembly but failed to meet the required 40 percent threshold of the total electorate, dealt a severe blow to the SNP and the broader devolution movement.
Wilderness Years and Revival
The 1980s were largely a period of decline and internal strife for the SNP, as the party lost most of its parliamentary seats and struggled with ideological divisions between fundamentalists (who prioritized independence above all else) and gradualists (who supported devolution as a stepping stone to independence). Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government, while deeply unpopular in Scotland, paradoxically weakened the SNP by channeling Scottish dissatisfaction toward Labour, which positioned itself as the defender of Scottish interests within the Union. The SNP’s recovery began in the late 1980s and 1990s under the leadership of Alex Salmond, who modernized the party, broadened its electoral appeal, and positioned it as a credible governing force. The establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 following the successful devolution referendum of 1997 provided the SNP with a new and crucial arena in which to compete for power. The party became the official opposition in the first Scottish Parliament and continued to build its support base through effective campaigns on issues like free personal care for the elderly, opposition to the Iraq War, and the abolition of university tuition fees.
Complete List of SNP Leaders
The SNP has been led by eight individuals since its founding in 1934. Each leader has left a distinct mark on the party’s identity, electoral performance, and strategic direction.
Alexander MacEwen (1934–1936)
Sir Alexander MacEwen was the first leader of the Scottish National Party, serving from its founding in April 1934 until 1936. He had previously been president of the Scottish Party, one of the two organizations that merged to form the SNP. MacEwen was a moderate who favored home rule — Scottish self-governance within the British Empire — rather than full independence, which created tensions with more radical elements within the party. His leadership established the party’s initial organizational structure and set the stage for the internal debates between gradualists and fundamentalists that would characterize the SNP for decades. MacEwen’s brief tenure reflected the fragile nature of the newly formed party and the challenges of uniting disparate strands of the Scottish nationalist movement.
Andrew Dewar Gibb (1936–1940)
Professor Andrew Dewar Gibb succeeded MacEwen and served as SNP leader from 1936 to 1940. Gibb was a professor of Scots Law at the University of Glasgow and brought academic respectability to the nationalist cause. His leadership style was cautious and conservative, reflecting his belief that Scottish nationalism should emphasize cultural and institutional distinctiveness rather than revolutionary political change. The party remained electorally marginal during his tenure, operating in the shadow of the gathering storm of World War II. Gibb’s period as leader is often characterized as a holding operation during which the party maintained its existence but made little progress in terms of electoral support or public visibility.
William Power (1940–1942)
William Power served as SNP leader during the early years of World War II, from 1940 to 1942. A journalist and literary figure, Power was known for his writings on Scottish culture and identity. His tenure was inevitably overshadowed by the wartime emergency, which made normal political activity extremely difficult and pushed domestic constitutional questions to the periphery of public attention. The SNP during this period was a very small organization with limited resources and visibility. Power’s leadership is primarily notable for keeping the party alive during one of the most challenging periods in its history.
Douglas Young (1942–1945)
Douglas Young’s leadership from 1942 to 1945 was one of the most controversial periods in the SNP’s early history. Young, a classical scholar and poet, refused to serve in the British armed forces during World War II on the grounds that conscription by Westminster was illegally imposed on Scotland without the consent of the Scottish people. He was imprisoned twice for his refusal to comply with conscription orders, making him a cause célèbre within the nationalist movement but a deeply divisive figure in the broader political landscape. Young’s stance on conscription energized the more radical wing of the party but alienated moderates and attracted negative public attention. His period as leader demonstrated the tension between principled ideological positions and practical political strategy that has recurred throughout the SNP’s history.
Bruce Watson (1945–1947)
Bruce Watson served as SNP leader from 1945 to 1947, a brief and relatively uneventful tenure during the immediate postwar period. The party’s most notable achievement during this time was Robert McIntyre’s by-election victory at Motherwell in April 1945, which gave the SNP its first (albeit short-lived) representation in the House of Commons. Watson’s leadership saw the party struggle to maintain relevance in the postwar political realignment, as the Labour Party’s sweeping 1945 general election victory and the creation of the welfare state dominated British politics. The SNP remained a small, poorly resourced organization during this period, with no clear path to electoral breakthrough.
Robert McIntyre (1947–1956)
Dr. Robert McIntyre, the party’s first ever MP, served as SNP leader from 1947 to 1956. His nine-year tenure was one of the longest in the party’s early history and was characterized by efforts to build the party’s organizational infrastructure and broaden its appeal. McIntyre was a physician by profession and brought a pragmatic, moderate approach to the leadership, focusing on constituency-level organization and community engagement. However, the SNP remained electorally insignificant during the 1950s, winning no parliamentary seats and struggling to compete with the dominant Labour and Conservative parties in Scotland. McIntyre’s primary legacy was his work in establishing the party structures that would enable future growth, even though the electoral breakthrough remained elusive during his time as leader.
Arthur Donaldson (1960–1969)
Arthur Donaldson served as SNP leader from 1960 to 1969, a period that saw the party begin its transformation from a marginal protest movement into a serious political force. Donaldson was a farmer and lifelong nationalist who had been interned during World War II under Defence Regulation 18B due to his perceived opposition to the war effort — a controversial episode that he always disputed. Under his leadership, the SNP began to build a more professional organizational structure and attracted new members and activists who would form the core of the party’s future growth. The breakthrough moment came toward the end of his tenure when Winnie Ewing won the Hamilton by-election in November 1967, demonstrating for the first time that the SNP could win a Westminster seat in a major Labour stronghold. Donaldson’s leadership provided the foundation upon which the party’s spectacular growth in the 1970s would be built.
Billy Wolfe (1969–1979)
Billy Wolfe led the SNP during its most electorally successful period to that date, from 1969 to 1979. Under his chairmanship (the party used the title “chairman” rather than “leader” during this era), the SNP rode the wave of growing Scottish nationalism fueled by North Sea oil revenues and economic discontent to win 11 seats and over 30 percent of the Scottish vote in the October 1974 general election. Wolfe was an effective campaigner and organizational leader who helped transform the SNP from a protest movement into a mass-membership party. However, the failed devolution referendum of March 1979 and the subsequent general election, in which the SNP lost all but two of its seats, brought his period of leadership to a dispiriting end. Wolfe’s tenure demonstrated both the potential and the fragility of SNP electoral support during a period when the party’s support could surge dramatically on waves of national sentiment but lacked the deep-rooted institutional foundation needed to sustain gains during difficult periods.
Gordon Wilson (1979–1990)
Gordon Wilson served as SNP leader during the difficult 1980s, from 1979 to 1990. He inherited a party demoralized by the 1979 referendum defeat and the loss of most of its parliamentary seats. Wilson sought to rebuild the party’s credibility and define its policy platform beyond the single issue of independence, broadening the SNP’s positions on economic policy, social issues, and European integration. His tenure was marked by intense internal debates between fundamentalists and gradualists, with Wilson generally siding with the gradualist wing that saw devolution as a useful stepping stone toward independence. Despite limited electoral success during this period — the SNP typically held two to four Westminster seats throughout the 1980s — Wilson kept the party organizationally viable and ideologically coherent during one of its most challenging eras.
Alex Salmond’s Leadership
Alex Salmond is arguably the most transformative leader in the SNP’s history, serving two terms as party leader (1990-2000 and 2004-2014) and leading the party from the political margins to government.
First Term as Leader
Salmond was elected SNP leader in September 1990 at the age of 35, representing a generational shift and a new strategic direction for the party. He was a former Royal Bank of Scotland economist with a sharp intellect, formidable debating skills, and a media-savvy approach to politics that contrasted with the more traditional style of his predecessors. Salmond immediately set about modernizing the party, professionalizing its communications and campaign operations, and positioning the SNP as a credible alternative government for Scotland rather than merely a single-issue pressure group. He led the party through the 1997 devolution referendum campaign, in which the SNP supported the creation of a Scottish Parliament alongside Labour and the Liberal Democrats, and then through the first Scottish Parliament elections in 1999, in which the SNP became the official opposition. However, his first leadership period ended in 2000 when he stepped down, citing personal reasons and the desire for a fresh direction, though he remained an influential figure within the party.
Return and Election Victory
Salmond made a dramatic return to the SNP leadership in 2004, defeating Nicola Sturgeon and two other candidates in a leadership election. His second term as leader proved to be the most consequential period in the party’s history. In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, Salmond led the SNP to a narrow victory, winning 47 seats to Labour’s 46, and became the first SNP First Minister of Scotland, leading a minority government. This victory shattered the assumption that Labour was the natural party of government in Scotland and demonstrated that the SNP could win power through democratic elections. Salmond proved to be an effective First Minister, navigating the challenges of minority government by building issue-by-issue coalitions with opposition parties and maintaining high personal approval ratings. In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, he achieved what many had considered impossible under the proportional representation system used for Holyrood elections: a decisive outright majority, winning 69 of 129 seats and delivering a mandate for the independence referendum that would define his legacy.
Independence Referendum 2014
The 2014 Scottish independence referendum, held on September 18, was the culminating moment of Salmond’s political career and the most significant test of SNP leadership in the party’s history. Salmond negotiated the terms of the referendum with UK Prime Minister David Cameron through the Edinburgh Agreement of October 2012, securing a single, clear question — “Should Scotland be an independent country?” — with a simple majority required. He led the Yes Scotland campaign, which started far behind in the polls but closed the gap dramatically over the two-year campaign period, at one point briefly taking the lead in at least one opinion poll just days before the vote. The final result was 55.3 percent No to 44.7 percent Yes, a defeat for the independence cause but a result that exceeded most early expectations and demonstrated the significant and growing support for independence. Salmond resigned as both SNP leader and First Minister immediately after the result, stating that the party and the independence movement needed new leadership to take the cause forward.
Later Career and Controversy
Following his resignation, Salmond’s relationship with the SNP and his successor, Nicola Sturgeon, deteriorated dramatically. In 2018, the Scottish Government conducted an internal investigation into complaints of sexual harassment made against Salmond during his time as First Minister. Salmond was subsequently charged with 14 offences including attempted rape, but was acquitted of all charges following a criminal trial in March 2020. He alleged that there had been a conspiracy against him involving figures within the Scottish Government and the SNP, allegations that were investigated by a Scottish Parliament committee and a separate judicial review. In March 2021, Salmond launched a new political party, the Alba Party, in direct competition with the SNP, representing a remarkable rupture between the independence movement’s most prominent figures. Salmond continued to lead the Alba Party until his sudden death on October 12, 2024, at the age of 69, while attending a conference in North Macedonia. His death prompted tributes from across the political spectrum, with even his harshest critics acknowledging his transformative impact on Scottish politics.
Nicola Sturgeon’s Era
Nicola Sturgeon served as SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland from November 2014 to March 2023, making her the longest-serving First Minister and the first woman to hold either the leadership of the SNP or the office of First Minister.
Becoming Leader
Sturgeon was elected SNP leader unopposed on November 14, 2014, following Salmond’s resignation, and became First Minister on November 20, 2014. She had served as Sturgeon’s deputy for a decade, holding the positions of Deputy First Minister, Cabinet Secretary for Health, and Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities. Her accession to the leadership was widely expected and entirely uncontested, reflecting both her long preparation for the role and the party’s desire for stability and continuity following the referendum defeat. At 44 years old, Sturgeon became the youngest First Minister in Scotland’s devolved history and immediately set about establishing her own identity and leadership style, distinct from her predecessor’s. Her elevation was accompanied by an unprecedented surge in SNP membership, which grew from approximately 25,000 before the referendum to over 100,000 by early 2015, making the SNP one of the largest political parties in the United Kingdom by membership.
Electoral Dominance
Under Sturgeon’s leadership, the SNP achieved a level of electoral dominance in Scotland that was unprecedented in modern British politics. In the 2015 UK general election, held just seven months after the independence referendum, the SNP won 56 out of 59 Scottish seats at Westminster, annihilating Labour’s Scottish contingent and establishing the SNP as the overwhelming voice of Scotland in the House of Commons. Sturgeon won the 2016 Scottish Parliament election with 63 seats, losing the outright majority Salmond had achieved in 2011 but remaining comfortably the largest party and continuing in government with the support of the Scottish Greens on key votes. In the 2017 UK general election, the SNP lost 21 seats, falling to 35, in what was widely seen as a backlash against a second independence referendum, but recovered to 48 seats in the 2019 general election. The 2021 Scottish Parliament election saw the SNP win 64 seats, one short of an outright majority, and form a formal coalition government with the Scottish Greens — the first such coalition in the Scottish Parliament’s history. Throughout this period, Sturgeon maintained consistently high personal approval ratings and was widely regarded as one of the most effective political communicators in the United Kingdom.
Independence Strategy
Sturgeon’s approach to the Scottish independence question differed significantly from Salmond’s. While she maintained that independence was the party’s raison d’être and consistently argued for Scotland’s right to choose its own future, her strategy was more cautious and legalistic than Salmond’s confrontational approach. The Brexit referendum of June 2016, in which Scotland voted 62 percent to Remain while the UK as a whole voted to Leave, provided Sturgeon with a powerful new argument for independence — that Scotland was being taken out of the European Union against its will. She repeatedly called for a second independence referendum, known as “indyref2,” but was consistently rebuffed by the UK Government, which argued that the 2014 result should be respected for a generation. In November 2022, the UK Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Scottish Parliament did not have the power to legislate for an independence referendum without Westminster’s consent, dealing a significant blow to Sturgeon’s preferred legal route to a second vote. Her proposed alternative — using the next general election as a “de facto referendum” on independence — was controversial within the party and was ultimately abandoned by her successors.
Resignation and Aftermath
Nicola Sturgeon announced her resignation as SNP leader and First Minister on February 15, 2023, in a surprise press conference that stunned Scottish politics. She cited the toll of more than eight years as First Minister and the intense personal scrutiny that came with the position, stating that she had concluded she was not the best person to lead the party and the independence movement in the period ahead. Her resignation came during a period of growing challenges for the SNP, including a police investigation into the party’s finances, declining support in opinion polls, and controversies over the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which the UK Government had blocked using an unprecedented Section 35 order. Just weeks after her resignation, her husband Peter Murrell — who had served as the SNP’s chief executive for over two decades — was arrested by police investigating the party’s finances, adding a dramatic and damaging dimension to the leadership transition. Murrell was subsequently charged with embezzlement of party funds, charges he denied. The confluence of Sturgeon’s resignation, the financial investigation, and the internal party tensions created the most turbulent period in the SNP’s modern history.
Humza Yousaf’s Brief Tenure
Humza Yousaf served as SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland from March 2023 to May 2024, one of the shortest leadership tenures in the party’s history.
Leadership Election 2023
The leadership election to succeed Nicola Sturgeon was the first contested SNP leadership election since 2004 and proved to be one of the most divisive internal contests in the party’s history. Three candidates stood: Humza Yousaf, the Health Secretary; Kate Forbes, the Finance Secretary; and Ash Regan, a backbench MSP who had resigned from government over the gender recognition bill. The campaign was marked by sharp policy disagreements, particularly over gender recognition legislation and the party’s strategy for achieving independence. The contest also exposed tensions between the party’s more progressive urban base and its more socially conservative rural supporters, with Kate Forbes’s traditional religious views on marriage and abortion generating intense debate. Yousaf won the election on March 27, 2023, with 52.1 percent of the vote to Forbes’s 47.9 percent (after Regan was eliminated in the first round), becoming the first person of color to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom and the first Muslim to serve as First Minister of Scotland.
Challenges in Office
Yousaf’s tenure as First Minister was marked by a series of political challenges that limited his ability to establish his leadership. The ongoing police investigation into SNP finances cast a persistent shadow over his government, with the party’s former chief executive (and Nicola Sturgeon’s husband) Peter Murrell being charged with embezzlement during Yousaf’s time in office. The party’s poll numbers continued to decline, with Labour gaining significant ground in Scotland ahead of the anticipated UK general election. Yousaf attempted to maintain the SNP’s progressive policy agenda while managing the party’s internal tensions and external political challenges. He also faced difficulties in managing the coalition with the Scottish Greens, which became increasingly strained over policy disagreements, particularly regarding climate and environmental targets.
Resignation
Yousaf’s leadership came to an abrupt end in late April 2024 when he terminated the Bute House Agreement — the formal coalition between the SNP and the Scottish Greens — in a manner that blindsided the Green leadership and triggered a political crisis. The Greens responded by stating they would support a vote of no confidence in Yousaf’s government, and the Scottish Conservative Party tabled a formal no-confidence motion. Facing almost certain defeat in the parliamentary vote and unable to secure sufficient support from other parties, Yousaf announced his resignation as SNP leader and First Minister on April 29, 2024. His departure, coming just 13 months after he took office, underscored the depth of the challenges facing the SNP and raised serious questions about the party’s internal stability, strategic direction, and ability to recover its electoral dominance in Scottish politics.
John Swinney’s Second Leadership
John Swinney’s return to the SNP leadership in May 2024 represented one of the most unusual developments in modern British political history — a leader returning to the helm of the same party two decades after his first tenure.
First Leadership Period
Swinney first served as SNP leader from September 2000 to June 2004, succeeding Alex Salmond after his initial resignation. His first leadership period was challenging, as the party struggled to make an impact in the early years of the Scottish Parliament and suffered disappointing results in the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, losing eight of its 35 seats. Swinney was widely respected within the party for his intellect, work ethic, and personal integrity, but he struggled to connect with voters and generate the media excitement needed to cut through in a crowded political landscape. He resigned in June 2004 after a leadership challenge motion received significant support at the party conference, paving the way for Salmond’s return. Despite the electoral disappointments of his first leadership period, Swinney remained a central figure in the SNP, serving in increasingly senior cabinet roles under both Salmond and Sturgeon and becoming one of the most experienced and trusted members of the Scottish Government.
Return to Leadership
When Humza Yousaf resigned in April 2024, the SNP again found itself in need of a leader during a period of crisis. Swinney emerged as the unity candidate, positioning himself as a steady hand who could stabilize the party, reunite its factions, and provide experienced governance during a difficult period. His candidacy was unopposed — no other SNP politician challenged him for the leadership — and he was declared leader on May 7, 2024. He was confirmed as First Minister by the Scottish Parliament the following day, with the support of the Scottish Greens. Swinney’s return was viewed by many observers as an acknowledgment that the party’s talent pool had been depleted by the turbulence of the preceding 18 months and that experience and stability were valued above charisma or ideological freshness. His appointment also reflected the pragmatic strand of SNP politics that has historically prioritized competent governance alongside the aspiration for independence.
Leadership Priorities
As leader, Swinney identified several immediate priorities including restoring public trust in the SNP, improving the Scottish Government’s record on key public services such as the NHS and education, and rebuilding the party’s organizational capacity ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. He has adopted a less confrontational approach to independence than some of his predecessors, emphasizing the need to first build the case for independence through demonstrating competent governance and persuading undecided voters rather than seeking constitutional confrontation with Westminster. The UK general election of July 2024, held just weeks after Swinney took office, saw the SNP lose 39 of its 48 Westminster seats to Labour, retaining only nine seats in what was the party’s worst general election result since 2010. This devastating defeat has intensified the pressure on Swinney to develop a credible strategy for recovery and to address the underlying causes of the party’s declining electoral fortunes.
SNP Leadership Election Process
The process by which the SNP selects its leader has evolved over the party’s history and reflects broader trends toward internal party democracy.
Rules and Procedures
The SNP leader is elected by the party membership using a one-member-one-vote system. Candidates for the leadership must be members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and require a proposer and seconder from among the SNP’s parliamentary group, as well as support from a minimum number of local constituency branches. If only one candidate is nominated and seconded, they are declared leader without a ballot, as occurred with Nicola Sturgeon in 2014 and John Swinney in 2024. When multiple candidates stand, the election uses a preferential voting system, allowing members to rank candidates in order of preference. The most recent contested leadership election, in March 2023, used an alternative vote system in which the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes was eliminated and their votes redistributed according to second preferences.
Membership and Voting
The SNP’s membership has fluctuated significantly over the years, directly affecting the electorate for leadership contests. After the 2014 independence referendum, membership surged to over 100,000, making the SNP one of the largest political parties in the UK. However, membership has declined considerably since then, falling to an estimated 72,000 at the time of the 2023 leadership election, with questions raised about how many members were actually eligible and up to date with their fees. The party’s financial difficulties, including the police investigation into its finances, have further complicated membership administration. Turnout in the 2023 leadership election was approximately 70 percent of eligible members, suggesting strong engagement among the remaining membership despite the party’s challenges.
Historical Context
For much of the SNP’s history, leadership contests were rare, with leaders typically serving until they chose to resign or were pushed out through internal pressure rather than formal challenge mechanisms. The party’s culture traditionally emphasized unity and loyalty, making open leadership challenges relatively unusual. The 2004 contest between Salmond, Sturgeon, and others, and the 2023 contest between Yousaf, Forbes, and Regan, were the only significant contested elections in recent decades. The rarity of contested elections reflects both the strength of the incumbents during the party’s period of dominance and the cultural preference within the SNP for presenting a united front to the public.
SNP Leadership and Independence
The relationship between SNP leadership and the cause of Scottish independence is inseparable, as independence has been the party’s central policy objective since its founding.
Evolution of Independence Strategy
The SNP’s approach to achieving independence has evolved significantly under different leaders. In the party’s early decades, independence was largely an aspirational goal with no clear strategic pathway. Under Salmond, the strategy crystalized around winning a majority in the Scottish Parliament, securing agreement from the UK Government for a legally binding referendum, and winning that referendum — a pathway that nearly succeeded in 2014. Under Sturgeon, the strategy became more complex, as the UK Government’s refusal to grant a Section 30 order (the mechanism by which Westminster transfers referendum-making power to Holyrood) forced the party to explore alternative routes, including legal challenges and the concept of a “de facto referendum” conducted through a general election. Under Swinney, the approach has shifted again toward a longer-term strategy of building the case for independence through good governance, gradually persuading undecided voters, and waiting for a more favorable political moment to make the constitutional question central again.
Impact of Brexit
The UK’s decision to leave the European Union in the June 2016 referendum had a profound impact on the SNP’s independence strategy and the party’s leadership dynamics. Scotland voted 62 percent to Remain, creating what the SNP characterized as a “democratic deficit” in which Scotland was being removed from the EU against its will. Sturgeon argued that this material change in circumstances justified a second independence referendum and that an independent Scotland could seek to rejoin the EU. However, despite initial polls suggesting increased support for independence following Brexit, support for independence did not sustainably rise above 50 percent in most polls, complicating the SNP leadership’s argument that a referendum would produce a different result than in 2014. The complexity of the relationship between independence and EU membership — including questions about border arrangements, currency, and the timeline for EU accession — created both opportunities and challenges for the SNP leadership in making the case for independence in a post-Brexit context.
Current Independence Debate
As of 2024, the independence debate within the SNP and the broader Scottish public continues to evolve. The party’s 2024 general election manifesto committed to using a future UK or Scottish election as a mandate for independence negotiations if the SNP won a majority of Scottish seats, though the party fell far short of this target by winning only nine seats. Under Swinney’s leadership, the immediate focus has shifted away from constitutional confrontation and toward rebuilding the party’s electoral base, improving public services, and developing more detailed prospectus for what an independent Scotland would look like. The independence movement itself has become more fragmented, with the Alba Party (until Salmond’s death), the Scottish Greens, and various grassroots organizations all pursuing independence through different strategies. The question of how and when to pursue a second referendum, and what mandate would be required, remains the most fundamental strategic question facing every SNP leader.
SNP Party Structure
Understanding the SNP’s internal party structure is essential for grasping how leadership operates within the party and how decisions are made.
National Executive Committee
The SNP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) is the party’s primary governing body between annual conferences, responsible for overseeing the party’s administration, finances, and strategic direction. The NEC includes the party leader, depute leader, president, national treasurer, various elected members representing different sections of the party, and representatives from the parliamentary groups. The NEC’s role became a subject of intense scrutiny following the police investigation into the party’s finances, with questions raised about the oversight mechanisms in place and the extent to which NEC members were informed about financial decisions. Under Swinney’s leadership, reforms to the NEC’s governance and transparency procedures have been initiated in an effort to restore confidence in the party’s internal management.
Annual Conference
The SNP’s annual national conference is the party’s sovereign decision-making body, where members debate and vote on policy resolutions, constitutional amendments, and strategic priorities. The conference typically takes place in the autumn and has historically been a venue for significant policy debates, leadership speeches, and displays of party unity. In recent years, however, the conference has also been a site of internal tensions, with debates over gender recognition legislation, independence strategy, and party governance sometimes revealing deep divisions within the membership. The conference elects key office-bearers, including the party president and national treasurer, and provides a platform for the leader to set out their vision for the party’s direction.
Branch and Constituency Organization
The SNP’s local organization is built around constituency associations and local branches, which are responsible for election campaigning, community engagement, membership recruitment, and selecting candidates for local, Scottish, and UK elections. The strength of the SNP’s local organization has been one of the party’s key competitive advantages, particularly during its period of electoral dominance from 2015 to 2022. However, declining membership, activist burnout, and internal tensions have weakened local party structures in many areas, contributing to the party’s poor performance in the 2024 general election. Rebuilding the grassroots organization is widely recognized as one of the most important tasks facing the current SNP leadership.
Challenges Facing SNP Leadership
The current SNP leadership faces a range of significant challenges that will shape the party’s trajectory in the coming years.
Electoral Decline
The SNP’s electoral position has weakened considerably from its peak in 2015-2019. In the July 2024 UK general election, the party lost 39 of its 48 Westminster seats, with Labour making dramatic gains across urban and central Scotland. Opinion polls for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election suggest a highly competitive contest in which the SNP could lose its position as the largest party at Holyrood for the first time since 2007. The reasons for this decline are multifaceted, including voter fatigue after 17 years of SNP government, dissatisfaction with the state of public services (particularly the NHS and education), the impact of the party finance investigation, and the perception that the independence question has reached a strategic impasse. Reversing this decline is the single most urgent challenge facing John Swinney and the broader SNP leadership team.
Party Finance Investigation
The ongoing police investigation into the SNP’s finances has been one of the most damaging episodes in the party’s history. The investigation, led by Police Scotland’s Operation Branchform, focuses on how over £600,000 raised specifically for independence referendum campaigning was used. Former chief executive Peter Murrell was arrested in April 2023 and charged with embezzlement. Former treasurer Colin Beattie was also arrested and subsequently released without charge. Nicola Sturgeon herself was arrested and questioned in June 2023 before being released without charge, with investigations continuing. The investigation has severely damaged public trust in the SNP and created an atmosphere of crisis and uncertainty within the party. Under Swinney’s leadership, the party has sought to demonstrate a commitment to financial transparency and reformed governance, but the shadow of the investigation continues to affect the party’s credibility.
Internal Unity
The SNP has historically prided itself on internal discipline and unity, but the events of 2023-2024 have exposed significant fault lines within the party. The contested leadership election between Yousaf and Forbes revealed deep divisions over social policy, particularly regarding gender recognition legislation and the party’s approach to socially progressive issues. The split between supporters of Salmond and supporters of Sturgeon, which dates back to the sexual harassment allegations against Salmond in 2018, has left lasting scars within the party’s activist base and parliamentary group. The departure of Ash Regan from the SNP to join the Alba Party during the 2023 leadership campaign illustrated the risk of internal division leading to outright defection. Managing these tensions while maintaining the party’s effectiveness as a governing party and a campaigning force for independence is one of the most delicate tasks facing the current leadership.
Future of SNP Leadership
The future direction of SNP leadership will be shaped by a complex interplay of electoral pressures, internal party dynamics, the trajectory of the independence movement, and broader developments in UK and Scottish politics.
Potential Future Leaders
While John Swinney is the current leader, speculation about the next generation of SNP leadership has focused on several figures. Kate Forbes, who came close to winning the 2023 leadership election, remains one of the party’s most prominent and capable politicians, though her socially conservative views on some issues continue to divide opinion within the membership. Stephen Flynn, the party’s Westminster leader, has established himself as an effective parliamentary performer and represents the younger generation of SNP politicians. Other figures mentioned as potential future leaders include Mairi McAllan, the Net Zero Secretary, and various younger MSPs who have risen through the ranks of the Scottish Government and parliamentary group. The depth and quality of the SNP’s leadership bench will be a critical factor in the party’s ability to navigate the challenges ahead and prepare for eventual leadership transitions.
2026 Scottish Parliament Election
The 2026 Scottish Parliament election represents the most important test facing the current SNP leadership. If the SNP loses its position as the largest party at Holyrood and is replaced in government by a Labour-led administration, it would mark the end of an era of SNP dominance that has lasted nearly two decades. Swinney’s strategy appears to focus on strengthening the party’s record on public services, developing a more compelling economic narrative, and maintaining the aspiration for independence while avoiding making it the sole focus of the election campaign. The outcome of the 2026 election will likely determine whether Swinney continues as leader or whether a new leadership contest becomes necessary to take the party in a different direction.
Independence Movement Direction
The broader direction of the Scottish independence movement will inevitably shape SNP leadership for years to come. With opinion polls showing independence support hovering around 45-50 percent — roughly where it has been since 2014 — the movement is in a state of strategic uncertainty, with no clear or agreed pathway to a second referendum. The death of Alex Salmond in October 2024 removed one of the most powerful voices for independence and left the Alba Party, which he founded, in an uncertain position. The relationship between the SNP, the Scottish Greens, and the wider independence movement will need to be recalibrated as the political landscape evolves. Future SNP leaders will need to develop a credible and politically viable strategy for advancing the independence cause that can unite the movement’s various factions while maintaining the party’s appeal to the broad Scottish electorate.
FAQs
Who is the current SNP leader?
John Swinney is the current leader of the Scottish National Party, having been elected unopposed on May 7, 2024. He also serves as First Minister of Scotland, taking office on May 8, 2024. Swinney is serving his second term as SNP leader, having previously led the party from 2000 to 2004. He is the eighth person to serve as leader of the SNP since its founding in 1934.
How many leaders has the SNP had?
The SNP has had eight leaders since its founding in 1934: Alexander MacEwen, Andrew Dewar Gibb, William Power, Douglas Young, Bruce Watson, Robert McIntyre, Arthur Donaldson, Billy Wolfe, Gordon Wilson, Alex Salmond (two terms), John Swinney (two terms), Nicola Sturgeon, and Humza Yousaf. The count varies depending on whether one counts the early “chairman” and “president” positions separately and whether Salmond’s and Swinney’s second terms are counted as separate leaderships. In the modern era (post-1990), the party has had four distinct leaders: Salmond, Swinney, Sturgeon, and Yousaf, with Swinney now serving again.
How is the SNP leader elected?
The SNP leader is elected by the party membership using a one-member-one-vote system with preferential voting. Candidates must be members of the Scottish Parliament and require nominations from parliamentary colleagues and support from local branches. If only one candidate is nominated, they are declared leader without a ballot. The most recent contested election was in March 2023, when Humza Yousaf defeated Kate Forbes and Ash Regan.
Why did Nicola Sturgeon resign?
Nicola Sturgeon announced her resignation as SNP leader and First Minister on February 15, 2023, citing the personal toll of more than eight years in office and stating that she believed she was no longer the best person to lead the party. Her resignation came during a period of political challenges including the UK Government’s blocking of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, declining poll numbers, and what would soon become a police investigation into SNP finances. She was subsequently arrested and questioned by police in June 2023 as part of the financial investigation but was released without charge.
Why did Humza Yousaf resign?
Humza Yousaf resigned as SNP leader and First Minister on April 29, 2024, after terminating the coalition agreement with the Scottish Greens, which left his government without a parliamentary majority and facing a vote of no confidence he was likely to lose. His decision to end the Bute House Agreement caught the Greens off guard and backfired politically when they announced they would support the no-confidence motion. Yousaf’s resignation came just 13 months after he took office, making his one of the shortest leadership tenures in modern Scottish political history.
What is the SNP’s position on independence?
The SNP’s primary political objective is Scottish independence — the withdrawal of Scotland from the United Kingdom to become a sovereign, independent nation. The party supports achieving independence through a democratic referendum, similar to the one held in September 2014 in which 55.3 percent voted to remain in the UK. Under the current leadership, the strategy emphasizes building the case for independence through competent governance and persuading undecided voters, rather than seeking immediate constitutional confrontation with Westminster. The party argues that Scotland’s democratic right to choose its own future should be respected by the UK Government.
What happened in the 2024 general election for the SNP?
In the UK general election held on July 4, 2024, the SNP suffered its worst result in over a decade, losing 39 of its 48 Westminster seats and retaining only nine. Labour made dramatic gains across Scotland, capitalizing on voter dissatisfaction with the SNP’s governance record, the party finance investigation, and a desire for change after 17 years of SNP dominance. The result was widely interpreted as a significant setback for the SNP and the independence movement, raising serious questions about the party’s future direction and electoral strategy.
Who was the longest-serving SNP leader?
Nicola Sturgeon was the longest-serving SNP leader in the modern era, leading the party from November 2014 to March 2023, a total of approximately eight years and four months. If counting both terms combined, Alex Salmond served a total of approximately 14 years as leader (1990-2000 and 2004-2014). Among the party’s earlier leaders, Robert McIntyre’s nine-year tenure (1947-1956) and Billy Wolfe’s ten-year period (1969-1979) were also notable for their length.
What is the Bute House Agreement?
The Bute House Agreement was a formal power-sharing arrangement between the SNP and the Scottish Green Party, signed in August 2021, that gave the Greens two ministerial positions in the Scottish Government in exchange for parliamentary support. Named after Bute House, the official residence of the First Minister in Edinburgh, the agreement provided the SNP-Green coalition with a working majority in the Scottish Parliament. The agreement was terminated by Humza Yousaf in April 2024, a decision that triggered the political crisis leading to his resignation.
Is the SNP still the largest party in Scotland?
As of 2024, the SNP remains the largest party in the Scottish Parliament with 63 MSPs (following by-election changes since 2021), though this may change at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, where polls suggest a close contest with Labour. At Westminster, following the July 2024 general election, Labour holds significantly more Scottish seats (37) than the SNP (nine). The SNP remains the largest party by membership in Scotland, though its membership has declined significantly from its peak of over 100,000 in 2015.
What is the SNP’s financial investigation about?
Police Scotland’s Operation Branchform is investigating the handling of approximately £600,000 in funds raised by the SNP for independence referendum campaigning. The investigation began in 2021 following complaints that the money had not been ring-fenced as promised. Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell was arrested and charged with embezzlement. Former treasurer Colin Beattie and former leader Nicola Sturgeon were also arrested and questioned but released without charge. The investigation has been one of the most damaging episodes in the party’s history and has significantly affected public trust in the SNP.
Could Scotland hold another independence referendum?
Under current constitutional arrangements, the Scottish Parliament cannot unilaterally legislate for a binding independence referendum without the consent of the UK Government through a Section 30 order. The UK Supreme Court confirmed this in November 2022 when it ruled that the Scottish Parliament lacked the power to hold a referendum on independence without Westminster’s agreement. The UK Government under both Conservative and Labour prime ministers has refused to grant a Section 30 order, arguing that the 2014 referendum result should be respected. The SNP continues to argue that Scotland has a democratic right to a referendum and that Westminster’s refusal to grant one is unsustainable in the long term.
Who is Kate Forbes?
Kate Forbes is the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch and currently serves as Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic under John Swinney’s government. She narrowly lost the 2023 SNP leadership election to Humza Yousaf, winning 47.9 percent of the vote. Forbes is a member of the Free Church of Scotland and her socially conservative views on issues such as same-sex marriage generated significant debate during the leadership campaign. She is widely regarded as one of the most capable politicians in the Scottish Parliament and is frequently mentioned as a potential future SNP leader.
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