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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

20 September 2005 - 02 April 2007

Finance Committee

Deputy Convener

30 October 2004 - 02 April 2007

Audit Committee

Substitute Member

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.

Here is the register for John Swinney. The date of their initial statement was 07 June 2021.

Remuneration and related undertaking

No registrable interests

Gifts

On Friday 26 May 2017 I attended the "Remarks by the Honourable Barack H Obama" event as a guest of West Coast Capital (a Private Equity Firm). The cost of hospitality for the evening was £500, which was met by West Coast Capital.

Overseas visits

No registrable interests

Controlled transactions

No registrable interests

Heritable property

No registrable interests

Interest in shares

No registrable interests

Voluntary

From 23 November 2023 to 24 November 2023 I attended and spoke at a Conference “Future Politics : Effective Governance” at the University of Ulster, Belfast organised by the John and Pat Hume Foundation and Stratagem. Flights, dinner and hotel accommodation were paid for by the organisers at a cost of £150.61, £35 and £117.99 respectively. [Registered 5 December 2023]

From 7 December 2023 to 23 May 2024 I was an Honorary Professor in the Centre for Public Policy at the University of Glasgow. It was a part-time role and there was no remuneration involved. [Registered 13 December 2023, Amended interest 25 November 2024, Ceased interest 25 November 2024]

On 16 November 2024 I and my family attended a show at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. The cost of tickets and dinner was £164.85 and was met by Pitlochry Festival Theatre. [Registered 25 November 2024]

I am a Director of the Logierait Bridge Company. I do not receive any remuneration in relation to this role.

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: 4 December 2025

Grooming Gangs Inquiry

The First Minister (John Swinney): "Yes, I do. It was a reflection of the general comment that was being made about the issues at the time…

Chamber meeting date: 4 December 2025

“NHS in Scotland 2025: Finance and performance”

The First Minister (John Swinney): "Anybody who observes these exchanges at First Minister’s question time will understand that I am the first to accept that there are challenges in ensuring that the NHS recovers from the disruption of the two years of the Covid pandemic…

Chamber meeting date: 4 December 2025

National Health Service

The First Minister (John Swinney): "First, I am very sorry to hear of the details of the experience of Isobel and Martyn Knights. I am happy to explore the exact circumstances of the case that Mr Cole-Hamilton has put to me…

Chamber meeting date: 4 December 2025

Local Housing Allowance (Impact of Freeze on Poverty Levels)

The First Minister (John Swinney): "It is disappointing that the UK Government’s budget contained no commitment to end the freeze on local housing allowance. Next year will be the second year of the freeze and it will be three years since the local housing allowance was last uprated…

Chamber meeting date: 4 December 2025

A9 Dualling Project (Funding)

The First Minister (John Swinney): "The Government remains committed to completing the dualling programme by the end of 2035, and the necessary funding will be in place to do so."

Votes

How John Swinney has voted in Parliament

Find out how John Swinney has voted recently.

Motion ref. S6M-19980.1

Transparency in Tackling Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Submitted by: Russell Findlay, West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Result 50 for, 73 against, 0 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted against

Disagreed

Motion ref. S6M-19980

Transparency in Tackling Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Submitted by: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Monday, December 1, 2025

Supported by: Paul Sweeney
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Result 95 for, 27 against, 1 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19977.1

Crisis in Social Care

Submitted by: Neil Gray, Airdrie and Shotts, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Supported by: Tom Arthur, Jenni Minto, Maree Todd
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Result 68 for, 55 against, 0 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19980.2

Transparency in Tackling Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Submitted by: Jenny Gilruth, Mid Fife and Glenrothes, Scottish National Party. Date lodged: Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Supported by: Angela Constance
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Result 67 for, 55 against, 1 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

Motion ref. S6M-19977

Crisis in Social Care

Submitted by: Jackie Baillie, Dumbarton, Scottish Labour. Date lodged: Monday, December 1, 2025

Supported by: Paul Sweeney
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Result 67 for, 51 against, 5 abstained, 6 did not vote

MSP voted for

Agreed

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 reference: S6W-26901

Asked by: John Swinney, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 18 April 2024

Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 April 2024

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

Question reference: S6W-26900

Asked by: John Swinney, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 18 April 2024

Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 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."

Question reference: S6W-26902

Asked by: John Swinney, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 18 April 2024

Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 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."

Question reference: S6W-26392

Asked by: John Swinney, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 21 March 2024

Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 April 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."

Question reference: S6W-26304

Asked by: John Swinney, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 20 March 2024

Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 April 2024

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

Question reference: S6W-26307

Asked by: John Swinney, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 20 March 2024

Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 April 2024

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

Question reference: S6W-26306

Asked by: John Swinney, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 20 March 2024

Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 April 2024

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

Question reference: S6W-26390

Asked by: John Swinney, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 21 March 2024

Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 April 2024

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

Question reference: S6W-26391

Asked by: John Swinney, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 21 March 2024

Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 April 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."

Question reference: S6W-26389

Asked by: John Swinney, Perthshire North, Scottish National Party

Date lodged: 21 March 2024

Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 2 April 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."

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