John Swinney urged to sack key SNP ally when he turns into First Minister | Politics | News | EUROtoday

SNP’s John Swinney has been issued an pressing warning earlier than being formally chosen as Scotland’s new First Minister – days after Humza Yousaf’s humiliating resignation.

Top Tories in Holyrood have urged Mr Swinney to sack independence minister Jamie Hepburn on his first day in workplace – and rule out requesting a second independence referendum from the UK Government throughout his time in workplace.

Douglas Ross, chief of the Scottish Conservatives, has penned a letter to the soon-to-be SNP chief, outlining the important thing priorities to deal with upon assuming residence at Bute House, our sister paper the Scottish Daily Express studies.

Last yr, former First Minister Humza Yousaf appointed his shut ally, Mr Hepburn, to the place of Independence Minister. In the previous 13 months, the MP for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth has acquired greater than a whopping £100,000 in compensation from public funds for his duties on this position.

Mr Ross additionally urged the previous deputy first minister to forestall civil servants from utilizing public funds to create Scexit prospectuses.

Additionally, he advises towards the potential of a second Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens.

In his letter, Mr Ross criticises Mr Swinney for allegedly manipulating the SNP management contest and highlights the occasion’s deal with independence, which he claims has led to division in Scotland over the previous decade.

He means that abandoning this obsession would permit the federal government to handle numerous shortcomings accrued in the course of the SNP’s 17-year tenure, through which Mr Swinney performed a job.

Furthermore, Mr Ross calls on Mr Swinney to verify the federal government’s assist for brand spanking new oil and fuel licenses within the North Sea and to decide to vital highway upgrades, comparable to dualing the A96 and A9.

Mr Swinney is anticipated to be elected as SNP chief with out opposition, as potential rival Kate Forbes has withdrawn from the race following stress from throughout the occasion.

If no different candidate steps ahead by Monday, Mr Swinney will assume the position of first minister on Tuesday.

Mr Ross stated: “If John Swinney genuinely wants to be a First Minister for all of Scotland – rather than just for SNP supporters – he must drop his obsession with independence.”

He added: “That means abandoning the office of Minister for Independence, ditching the taxpayer-funded SNP propaganda papers it produces and pledging not to request a referendum from the UK Government during his time in office. The public wants the Scottish Government to focus on the issues that matter to them – like fixing the crises in the NHS and education, and growing the economy.

“Sadly, the indicators should not encouraging, judging by John Swinney’s marketing campaign slogan – uniting for independence. How can he declare to be the recent begin Scotland wants when he’s placing up in lights that the SNP’s divisive independence obsession is his high precedence?

“As one of the authors of the disastrous Bute House Agreement, John Swinney must also promise Scots that there will be no fresh deal – official or unofficial – with the extremist, anti-growth Greens. And to prove that he’s serious, he needs to U-turn on the SNP’s opposition to future oil and gas projects in the North Sea and recommit to dualling the A9 and A96 as soon as possible.”

A spokesperson for John Swinney stated:“If elected as First Minister, Mr Swinney has dedicated to participating in substantive and significant dialogue with all events within the Scottish Parliament.