John Swinney succeeded former First Minister Humza Yousaf on May 6, 2024, after Humza resigned from his position following a year in the seat.
Swinney served on the backbenches as a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee after he resigned as Deputy First Minister in 2023 following the resignation of then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
According to Daily Record, John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister, received a ministerial salary of £50,097 during his tenure.
Meet John Swinney, the new First Minister of Scotland. 🏴 (PARODY) pic.twitter.com/8fPaoT2SqB
— Ben Kew (@ben_kew) May 8, 2024
So, as per parliament rules, members other than the First Minister receive 25% of their current salary as a resettlement grant while resigning from the position, which rounded to £12,524.25 for John Swinney.
As the seventh First Minister, John Swinney will receive an annual salary of £104,584 and £72,196 as MSP salary, totaling £176,780, which is a massive addition to his net worth.
Adding up the 25-year-long career of John Swinney from the leader of SNP to First Minister
John Ramsay Swinney, also known as John Swinney, first entered politics in 1979, at age 15, by joining the SNP’s (Scottish National Party) youth wing.
Later, in 1986, he became the party’s National Secretary before commencing his leadership contest against Alex Neil in 2000.
This was when John Swinney first entered the office and fought for leadership by representing the Gradualist wing against the Fundamentalists wing representative Alex Neil, winning 67.1% votes in favor.
What is Nicola Sturgeon's political legacy?
— STV News (@STVNews) March 27, 2023
John Swinney and Alex Neil have their say.
Follow live as the new SNP leader is named: https://t.co/1t5JgmNhDd pic.twitter.com/vZ2JCxZ9fc
However, he resigned from the SNP Leader position on June 22, 2004, and served as the convener and deputy convener for the External Relations Committee and Finance Committee from 2004 to 2007.
The biggest turning point in his leadership came after then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon appointed John Swinney as Deputy First Minister on November 21, 2014.
Swinney served as deputy first minister from 2014 to 2023, becoming the longest-serving Deputy First Minister after Sturgeon.
During the tenure of Nicola Sturgeon, the ministerial salary for the First Minister was £96,567.
📸 @JohnSwinney after being sworn in as First Minister of Scotland in Edinburgh at the Court of Session, taking the oath of office. pic.twitter.com/C8QYdKYzEe
— The SNP (@theSNP) May 8, 2024
However, the salary was updated on April 1, 2024, with the First Minister receiving a ministerial salary of £104,584.
So, considering all the income John Swinney generated in his 25-year career, it is no surprise that his net worth is in the millions.
Yet, the concerned authorities have yet to evaluate the official exact value.
Additional Information
- John Swinney is 60, born on April 13, 1964, in Edinburgh, Scotland, to parents Kenneth Swinney and Agnes Weir Swinney.
- He married his first wife, Lorna King, in 1991 but divorced in 1998. Later, he married his current wife, Elizabeth Quigley, in 2003.
- Swinney has three children: Judith and Stuart from his first marriage and Matthew from the second.
