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Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)

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John Swinney

Scottish National Party

MSP for Perthshire North (Constituency) 2011 - present day

Former MSP for North Tayside (Constituency) 1999 - 2011

About John Swinney

Contact details

Contact online

Website: johnswinney.scot

X (previously known as Twitter): @johnswinney

Facebook: John's facebook

Contact at the Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP

Phone: 0131 348 5717
Text relay calls welcome.

Contact at local office

17-19 Leslie Street
Blairgowrie
PH10 6AH

Phone: 01250 876576
Text relay calls welcome.

Find out when the MSP's surgery times are on their website.

Committees

John is not a member of any committees

Cross-party groups

John is not a member of any cross-party groups

Parliamentary and Government Roles

John has 1 parliamentary and government role

First Minister

Scottish Government

Party Roles

John has 1 party role

Party Leader

Scottish National Party

Previous roles

John has had 23 previous roles

Previous roles in cross-party groups are not included in this list.

29 June 2023 - 07 May 2024

Criminal Justice Committee

Member

19 May 2021 - 28 March 2023

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery

Scottish Government

18 May 2016 - 18 May 2021

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills

Scottish Government

21 November 2014 - 18 May 2016

Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy

Scottish Government

21 November 2014 - 18 May 2016

Deputy First Minister

Scottish Government

25 May 2011 - 21 November 2014

Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth

Scottish Government

17 May 2007 - 25 May 2011

Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth

Scottish Government

05 September 2005 - 02 April 2007

Party Spokesperson on Finance

Scottish National Party

05 September 2005 - 02 April 2007

Party Spokesperson on Public Services

Scottish National Party

30 October 2004 - 02 April 2007

Audit Committee

Substitute Member

20 September 2005 - 02 April 2007

Finance Committee

Deputy Convener

15 September 2005 - 20 September 2005

Finance Committee

Member

28 September 2004 - 14 September 2005

European and External Relations Committee

Convener

28 September 2004 - 14 September 2005

conveners group

Member

15 September 2004 - 28 September 2004

European and External Relations Committee

Member

01 May 2003 - 03 September 2004

Party Leader

Scottish National Party

26 September 2000 - 31 March 2003

Party Leader

Scottish National Party

17 June 1999 - 01 November 2000

Finance Committee

Member

06 May 1999 - 26 September 2000

Deputy Party Leader

Scottish National Party

25 May 1999 - 26 September 2000

Party Spokesperson on Enterprise

Scottish National Party

25 May 1999 - 26 September 2000

Party Spokesperson on Lifelong Learning

Scottish National Party

17 June 1999 - 26 September 2000

Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee

Convener

24 August 1999 - 26 September 2000

Conveners Liaison Group

Member

Register of interests

John's register of interests

MSPs must provide details of their financial interests in the Register of Interests. They make an initial statement on becoming or being returned as an MSP. This is then updated with any changes they provide.

Recent Activity

What was said

What John Swinney has said in Parliament

These are the official transcripts of what was said by this MSP in the chamber and at committee meetings. You'll find the topic discussed and how many times this MSP has contributed to the discussion.

Chamber meeting date: 3 April 2025

Trade Tariffs

The First Minister (John Swinney): "That is absolutely what the Scottish Government and our enterprise agencies are doing. On all occasions, we work with the business community to strengthen the economic prospects of and opportunities for Scotland…

Chamber meeting date: 3 April 2025

National Health Service

The First Minister: "No—I do not agree with that. I accept that there are challenges in the national health service, and I am very candid about that…

Chamber meeting date: 3 April 2025

Prisoners (Annual Costs)

The First Minister (John Swinney): "The figure of £77,000 is wrong. It mistakenly includes capital spending in estimating the cost of a prisoner place in Scotland, by taking total spend and dividing it by population. The average cost of a prisoner place in 2023-24 was £47,140…

Chamber meeting date: 3 April 2025

Banking Hubs

The First Minister (John Swinney): "There is a lot of merit in the concept of shared banking facilities. I have been exploring that very possibility in the highland Perthshire area of my constituency, so I understand the difficulties that Rachael Hamilton cites…

Chamber meeting date: 3 April 2025

University of Dundee (Recovery Plan)

The First Minister (John Swinney): "I assure Mr Marra that there is no absence of leadership on that question, which is commanding a huge amount of the Government’s time, attention and focus and was discussed extensively at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday…

Votes

How John Swinney has voted in Parliament

Find out how John Swinney has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-17059.1

Business Programme

Submitted by: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Result 31 for, 60 against, 26 abstained, 11 did not vote

MSP voted against

Vote Defeated

Motion ref. S6M-17059

Business Programme

Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Result 88 for, 28 against, 0 abstained, 12 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-16789

Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill

Submitted by: Liz Smith, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, March 27, 2025

Result 64 for, 1 against, 53 abstained, 10 did not vote

MSP abstained

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-16960

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill: Financial Resolution

Submitted by: Shona Robison, Dundee City East, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Result 90 for, 30 against, 0 abstained, 9 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Passed

Motion ref. S6M-16942

Approval of SSI

Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Result 70 for, 0 against, 50 abstained, 9 did not vote

MSP voted for

Vote Passed

Motions

Questions

Questions John Swinney has asked

These are the questions that this MSP has asked in Parliament. It also includes any answer to those questions.

Question ref. S6W-26901

Asked by: Swinney, John, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 18 April 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government how many staff are currently employed by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, and in what roles."

Answered by Angela Constance on 29 April 2024

Question ref. S6W-26902

Asked by: Swinney, John, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 18 April 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of staff currently employed by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner were previously employed by (a) Police Scotland, (b) any other police service and (c) the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service."

Answered by Angela Constance on 29 April 2024

Question ref. S6W-26900

Asked by: Swinney, John, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 18 April 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of staff currently employed by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner were previously serving police officers."

Answered by Angela Constance on 29 April 2024

Question ref. S6W-26392

Asked by: Swinney, John, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 21 March 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions the treatment Olaparib has been prescribed in each NHS board area since it was approved for use by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) in 2021."

Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 April 2024

Question ref. S6W-26304

Asked by: Swinney, John, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 20 March 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the implementation of the Scottish Wild Salmon Strategy."

Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 April 2024

Question ref. S6W-26307

Asked by: Swinney, John, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 20 March 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to any implications of recent flooding events for wild salmon populations."

Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 April 2024

Question ref. S6W-26306

Asked by: Swinney, John, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 20 March 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to measures to increase the wild salmon population through stocking initiatives."

Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 April 2024

Question ref. S6W-26391

Asked by: Swinney, John, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 21 March 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government whether consideration is being given, as part of the review of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer, to risk factors such as family history and ethnicity in improving the early detection of prostate cancer."

Answered by Neil Gray on 5 April 2024

Question ref. S6W-26390

Asked by: Swinney, John, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 21 March 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government when the review of the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer will be completed."

Answered by Neil Gray on 5 April 2024

Question ref. S6W-26389

Asked by: Swinney, John, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 21 March 2024

"To ask the Scottish Government whether the necessary genetic tests are available in all NHS board areas to enable the prescribing of Olaparib to treat prostate cancer."

Answered by Neil Gray on 2 April 2024

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