Calls to oust Swinney ‘self-indulgent rubbish', says former SNP MP

Mr McDonald, who lost his seat at the last UK General Election, told The Herald's Unspun Live podcast the First Minister needed to be 'given the space' to work out the way forward on his plans on domestic issues and independence.
SNP rebels met up following the party's shock defeat to Labour at the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election.
The Herald revealed that these SNP members held a secret meeting to discuss removing John Swinney citing a lack of an independence strategy from the First Minister.
'I think any talk from so-called rebels and discontent…that's just self-indulgent rubbish,' Mr McDonald said today.
Asked in what way it is self-indulgent, Mr McDonald said: 'I think the First Minister understands the mood of the country…I was in Westminster when the Tories chopped and changed leaders all the time.
'Do you really believe that if we had a fourth leader eleven months out of the election that that would change things for us?
'Only a fool would think that so these calls are not serious.
'I think he needs the support of his colleagues and the loyalty of his colleagues to put forward what is the second part of his project. He's done stabilising now he needs to do vision and plan.
'He's got to do that on domestic governance…and he's got to do that on independence as well. I think what he needs to be supported in doing is marrying together the ambitions of the party…and the mood of the country who I think are open to this debate but I think if we were to foist it upon them in a sort of tub-thumping way I don't think that would work for us at all.'
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He added: 'He is the type of politician who I think by instinct elevates the national interest over the party interest and the party needs to give him the space and trust him to do that.'
Today, the First Minister used a speech at a conference about Scotland in 2050 to stress the need for the country to become independent and rejoin the European Union.
He told those in attendance that it is understandable Scotland is an afterthought to the UK Government but the country should not accept it.
Mr Swinney said: 'For me, most importantly, it's about deciding to take Scotland's future into our own hands.
'It's only, in my view, by taking charge of our own destiny, with our own hand on the tiller that we're better able to ride the waves of change, that we're better able to shape our own future.
'That does not mean a Scotland standing alone, but rather a nation that has worked out its place in the world and the contribution it wants to make to the world.'
However, one SNP insider who was present at the meeting which discussed ousting Mr Swinney as leader told The Herald the issue of independence is still 'buried under a pile of slogans'.
Commenting on Mr Swinney's speech today, they said: 'It's a step forward - John woke up and remembered what party he leads. But if there's a strategy on independence it's still buried under a pile of slogans. Mood music and vibes alone won't cut it.
"He's not out of the woods yet. He needs to come forward before recess with a plan on how he will mobilise our vote-base - and what infrastructure will be in place to achieve that - that's what we need to see.
Taking the office of First Minister last year, Mr McDonald said Swinney had to 'stabilise the party' and 'engender a ceasefire' in the SNP.
Mr McDonald said: 'When he took over the party last year…the party was a bin fire at that point. A total bin-fire.
"And then had the total wipe-out at the General Election in which yours truly was a victim.
'I think he had two jobs to do. Firstly to stabilise the party and engender a ceasefire with itself and he has done that with some considerable success, I think', Ms McDonald commented.
Speaking to The Herald after Mr Swinney's speech, Mr McDonald said we are now beginning to see the 'early contours' of people questioning what 'Swinneyism' is.
'What is Swinneyism when it comes to independence? And, look, John Swinney is, it will be no surprise to any of your readers or listeners, a gradualist and I think the party needs to understand the mood of the country on this.
'The First Minister needs to be given the space to work out what the way forward is whether that's on domestic government or on the independence question and I think you started to see that this afternoon.'
'He's got to marry together a sense of impatience in the independence cause and a mood in the country that is deflated, that isn't wild about politicians generally and that feels a sense of decline…'
The SNP member who was an MP for Glasgow South from 2015-2024 said the recent by-election was 'disappointing', however, he said it must not be 'misread' by party members.
Asked if the by-election has dampened spirits in the party, Mr McDonald said: 'I hope it does the opposite. I hope it puts rockets up some backsides to be honest. We have no right to win the next election.
'That was disappointing for the party. I think that it was down to ground game more than anything. I think we slightly misjudged the Reform stuff.
'I think there is a job for the party to be done in its ground game and upgrading its campaigning systems and all the rest of it.
'Hamilton was obviously a result that was sore not just in terms of everyone saying this is a done deal…But let's not misread the failure at that by-election.
'I think John Swinney is still on the right course, I think Kate Forbes is still on the right course and I think they have a much better understanding of the mood of the country than the government that came before them.'
Mr Swinney spoke at the same conference today which was later addressed by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
The Labour leader used his speech as a pitch for his party ahead of next year's election.
'If I'm being blunt about it, tinkering around the edges is not going to work,' he said.
Mr Sarwar added that next year's election being treated as an 'auction' is also not going to work.
'One political party will offer you 1,000 nurses, another will offer you 1,100 nurses, or one party will offer you 1,000 nurses and another will offer you 1,000 police officers, another one will say 1,100 police officers,' he said.
'That is not going to fix the challenges facing our country right now and it's not going to build the kind of Scotland we need for our children and our grandchildren.'

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