Shouty Swinney ends year with mudslinging FMQs as SNP's record takes back seat at Holyrood
As a hostile Holyrood breaks for a well-needed breather - will the toxicity continue into next year’s election campaign?
Holyrood endured an underwhelming mudslinging session to see out the year with an FMQs lacking any Christmas cheer - setting a glum benchmark for what we can expect to see in the run-up to May’s election.
There was none of the usual end-of-term pantomime theatrics that tend to define a festive FMQs. Instead, Scotland’s top politicians hurled insults at each other, went round in circles and answered embarrassing planted questions.
The session erupted as First Minister John Swinney and slick-haired Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay both accused each other of being “cynical, calculating and dishonest".
Mr Swinney has been on quite the journey since he was handed the keys to Bute House.
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As he returned to government in May 2024, a humble SNP leader insisted he was bringing about change to usher in “an open, honest and respectful dialogue”, admitting that he would not be able to succeed “by shouting at people”.
But the First Minister marked his last FMQs of 2025 by throwing insults back at Mr Findlay, taking planted questions by his SNP backbenchers and having the audacity to scold Labour MSPs for raising genuine concerns by criticising them for not voting for his government’s budget almost a year ago.
If Scotland’s mainstream political parties don’t get their act together when they return to the Scottish Parliament in January, Nigel Farage will be rubbing his hands with glee. Some New Year’s resolutions are required.
Since Mr Swinney returned to government last year, his strategy has been, with good reason, to cause as little controversy as possible and keep things beige. But that strategy is unlikely to hold as the campaign ramps up ahead of May’s Holyrood election.
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For now, Holyrood has turned up the hostility and the nonsense.
Mr Findlay claimed the controversy surrounding Justice Secretary Angela Constance was “the very worst of the SNP”, accusing the party of being “cynical and calculating, dishonest and devious”. But the Tory leader was unable to bring anything new to the table other than some well-crafted put-downs.
In response, Mr Swinney raised his voice to suggest it is actually the Tories who are guilty of “actions that were cynical, calculating and dishonest”.
But that wasn’t the end of the farce.
After being asked about the “shameful and embarrassing” situation with 10,000 children being housed in temporary accommodation by Labour leader Anas Sarwar, not an unreasonable question, the First Minister had the gall to tell MSPs that “what is shameful and embarrassing” is the Labour leader “moaning about things” but “not being prepared to vote for a budget” almost a year ago.
If anything is embarrassing, it’s likely to be these FMQs exchanges.
But the lowest point came with a question from SNP backbencher David Torrance - a real test of Mr Swinney’s mettle.
Mr Torrance, reading out the pre-prepared question, claimed that Scotland was stuck with a "UK government delivering nothing but rising bills and rising hardships” and asked Mr Swinney if he agreed “it is only through independence that we can protect our living standards and cut household bills”.
If the SNP, Labour and Tories are to take the fight to Reform next year, it would be wise to have some actual debating over the key issues in Holyrood. If this is the best the Scottish Parliament has to offer, maybe a raft of new faces in the parliament chamber after May’s election can only be a good thing.
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