Swinney named as Scotland’s Politician of the Year at awards ceremony

John Swinney has been named as Scotland’s Politician of the Year, after seeing off competition from his Deputy First Minister to lift the coveted prize.

The SNP leader last won the award back in 2009, when he was finance secretary in Alex Salmond’s government.

He was awarded the title this time round for his efforts in stabilising both the Scottish Government and his party, which polls suggest could be on course for a fifth consecutive victory in next May’s Holyrood’s election.

The honour comes some 18 months after Mr Swinney took over as both SNP leader and First Minister – a role which this year saw him travel to the White House for talks with US President Donald Trump over tariffs on Scotch whisky.

He had been up against his Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, who herself picked up two awards, and Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie for the prized title.

Collecting the honour at the Scottish Politician of the Year awards, organised annually by The Herald newspaper, on Thursday evening, Mr Swinney said he was “very grateful and touched” to receive the award.

He stated: “It is the privilege of my life to serve the people of Scotland as First Minister and to do all that I can to improve the lives of the people of Scotland, which is what I strive to do every single day.”

The SNP leader added: “Across the political spectrum, elected members are serving the people of Scotland with devotion, with energy, and yes with different views and different perspective, but nonetheless a determination to serve the people of Scotland.

“For every one of us who is involved in public life in Scotland, our mission is about improving the lives of the people of Scotland.”

Ms Forbes picked up the Politics in Business award for her efforts build stronger relationships between the Scottish Government and Scotland’s business community, with the Deputy First Minister also picking up the ScottishPower Green Champion award.

Labour’s Lord George Robertson, a former UK defence secretary who went on to become secretary general of Nato, was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award.

Lord Robertson said he was “deeply touched” to be given the award, before telling the audience that dealing with war criminals and dictators had been easier than his time as shadow secretary of state of Scotland.

Describing how he has had “an incredible journey”, Lord Robertson said: “My period as shadow secretary of state for Scotland was one of the toughest periods of my whole political life.

“After that period, dealing with conflicts, wars, war criminals, dictators was a piece of cake, it was absolutely simple to do.”

Housing Secretary Mairi McAllan was named as the One to Watch at the ceremony, which is held annually at Prestonfield House Hotel.

The award came after she returned to Holyrood from maternity leave to be given the task of dealing with Scotland’s housing emergency in the newly created cabinet role.

The group, For Women Scotland, which won a Supreme Court challenge against the Scottish Government over the definition of a woman, meanwhile lifted the Public Campaigner of the Year award.

Elsewhere, Labour MP Brian Leishman, who recently had the whip restored to him, was named Best Scot at Westminster, for his outspoken contributions, particularly in standing up for constituents affected by the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery.

Elena Whitham was named as the Donald Dewar Debater of the Year after making a powerful and highly personal speech as MSPs debated assisted dying proposals, with the SNP MSP telling how her mother had starved herself to death after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.

The Committee MSP of the Year award went to former Tory leader Douglas Ross, who is the convener of Holyrood’s Education, Children and Young People Committee, with the award coming after his robust questioning of senior figures from crisis-hit Dundee University, as well as Edinburgh University’s principal, Professor Sir Peter Mathieson.

Labour North East Scotland MSP Michael Marra was named as Community MSP of the Year, in part for his efforts speaking out for staff and students at Dundee University.

And former councillor Willie Scobie, who stepped down from Dumfries and Galloway Council earlier this year after representing the local community there for more than 30 years, was named as the Scottish Local Politician of the Year.