The SNP needs to learn lessons from its defeats

I write my contribution to Holyrood’s 2024 Annual Review just days after the closing ceremony at the Paris Olympics. The spirit of the games never fails to capture the attention of the audience of millions watching at home – and Paris was no different. 

From Australia’s unique contribution to the breakdancing event, to Simone Biles’ breathtaking return, or Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikeç’s nonchalant approach to competition – there are many memorable moments from the summer of sport. 

For me, however, these games were defined by the enormous success of Scottish athletes who contributed to an impressive medal haul for Team GB. 

We have seen amazing Scottish achievements – including Duncan Scott becoming our most decorated Olympian, Eilish McColgan becoming the first Scottish four-time track and field Olympian and Scottish records have been smashed in the men’s 1,500 metres and women’s 100 metres butterfly events.  

Of course, this was the last dance for one of Scotland’s greatest ever sportsmen, Andy Murray, as he called time on a truly remarkable career. 

Scotland’s athletes have excelled on the world stage and done their country proud. And in true Scottish fashion, the modesty and humility of 27-year-old Duncan Scott has especially stuck with me. 

When asked by reporters to comment on his remarkable achievement of becoming Scotland’s most decorated Olympian – Scott shunned the flattery and chose to pay tribute to his teammates instead. It was a reminder of how success is a team sport. 

This is true not just in the sporting world but across many walks of life – including, of course, politics. 

The UK General Election result on 4 July was undeniably tough for me, having just assumed the leadership of the SNP, but that disappointment was felt throughout the SNP family by every member and activist. 

I know that our team fought a vibrant and positive grassroots election campaign. Travelling the country in the weeks before polls opened, I saw first-hand the enormous effort and collective drive our hard-working members put in to achieve an SNP victory in every corner of Scotland. 

But, ultimately, it was not enough. 

I am sorry that so many excellent MPs lost their seats. Time is always required to recover from an election disappointment, but I do hope that the many MPs who lost their seats will have more to contribute to our movement as we rebuild. 

Those new SNP faces elected will join their colleagues in holding the new UK Government to account. Already they have made a real impact – not least on forcing a vote on the decision not to scrap the two-child cap. 

You can expect many more such interventions from the SNP’s team of MPs, so ably led by Stephen Flynn. And, importantly, the Tories are finally out of government – thank goodness. It has not come a moment too soon. 

Clearly, the SNP did not succeed in this election when it came to demonstrating the urgency of independence for Scotland. In my short time in this role, travelling the length and breadth of Scotland and meeting countless individuals and businesses, I have never been more certain of Scotland’s potential as an independent nation – using our immense economic strengths to match the success of our neighbouring countries. 

But it is incumbent on us in the SNP to demonstrate that case to our fellow Scots.

It’s often said that you learn far more from your defeats than your successes – and on independence and many other issues, that is very much what I intend for the SNP.

My decision to return to frontline politics was not born out of long-held ambition, but rather a profound sense of duty to my party and my country.

I have been a campaigner for independence, and a member of the Scottish National Party, since I was a teenager. In that time, I have seen the highs and the lows of the Scottish National Party’s modern political history. And, over those highs and lows, one thing has been clear time after time: Scotland wins when the SNP wins.

I was chosen by SNP members on the commitment that I would unite the party and build a team that would truly deliver for the people of Scotland. And that is what I am doing.
After years of political turmoil at Westminster and with households in Scotland still grappling with the consequences of Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis – people need their government to step up and provide them with the support they need. 

My government and I are bringing a renewed focus to four key priorities: growing the economy; eradicating child poverty; tackling the climate crisis; and improving public services like our NHS and schools. These priorities embody the values of the people of Scotland, and they are principles that every MSP, every MP and every political party can get behind. 

We have entered a new chapter in the history of Scotland’s reconvened parliament – and the nature of our minority government means that everyone in Holyrood has a duty to get round the table to ensure we work collectively to improve people’s lives. 

Notwithstanding a six-week election campaign, where political parties and their leaders exchanged jibes in TV debates and interviews, I truly believe the nature of how we conduct our politics in Holyrood must change for the better. 

We saw the power of a better way of doing politics through the collective response of Scotland’s political parties to the far-right riots we saw in England and Northern Ireland. 

During a time of serious concern for many Scots – especially those in our Muslim and Jewish communities – political leaders in Scotland stood side by side to condemn the criminal thuggery unfolding in other parts of the United Kingdom. 

As first minister, I brought together the leaders of political parties in Holyrood to express our solidarity with those who had been targeted, and reinforce that we all want everybody to be safe within our society.

I want to thank Police Scotland for their hard work in providing reassurance and vigilance at a time of heightened tensions. It is a reminder of the job that they do every single day, in communities across Scotland, to keep people safe.

There is no place in Scotland for hatred of any kind, and each of us has a responsibility to confront racism and prejudice wherever, and whenever, it appears. 

Of course, an integral part of the process about ensuring we conduct our politics better is a reset in the relationship between the governments at Holyrood and Westminster. 
Frankly, relations with the UK Government before the general election could not have been much poorer – although I think that was plain for everyone to see. 

That is why it was welcome to meet with the new prime minister so early in his tenure, to establish the foundation for a productive relationship, based on our common priorities, as we seek to deliver progress for the benefit of the people of Scotland. 

Today, the Scottish Government faces the most challenging financial circumstances in the history of devolution, following on from the bleak fiscal picture painted by Rachel Reeves when the UK Government announced tens of billions in public spending cuts. 

Within this context, we will bring forward our Programme for Government to the Holyrood chamber shortly. The PFG will be one of a number of crucial matters for MSPs to discuss upon their return for the new term.

The challenges we face are serious, but I am reassured in my belief that Scotland’s politicians will work constructively with fresh vigour in the best interests of Scots. 

Together, united in our ambition to improve the lives of the people we serve, Scotland’s government and our parliament can deliver meaningful change for the country in the year ahead.