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John Swinney is the new first minister in waiting having been named SNP leader after any potential rivals pulled out of the race.
The former deputy first minister was the only person to put himself forward to succeed Humza Yousaf, who is expected to formally step down this week.
Mr Swinney will then face a vote at Holyrood, which will likely see him appointed the Scottish Parliament’s nominated candidate to be the country’s seventh first minister.
In a statement on X, he said: “I am deeply honoured to have been elected as Leader of the SNP. I will give all that I have to serve my Party and my Country.”
It comes just a week after Mr Yousaf announced he was stepping down as both SNP leader and Scottish First Minister, after his decision to tear up his party’s powersharing deal with the Greens at Holyrood left him facing a vote of confidence.
Former leadership rival Kate Forbes was seen as the most likely challenger to Mr Swinney, but ruled herself out last week.
In a tweet thread posted on social media site X, Ms Forbes said: “I have listened very carefully to the vision John Swinney set out this morning for Scotland. I welcomed, and embrace, his commitment to ensure internal respect for robust and divergent debate in the party, which is the lifeblood of any democratic institution like the SNP.”
SNP activist Graeme McCormick also ended his bid to become the next leader of the party.
Mr McCormick, who had made a last-minute bid for the leadership, said he would “not proceed” with his nomination and would instead support Mr Swinney.
He said he had met the thresholds to stand under party rules, but after “a lengthy and fruitful conversation” he decided to support Mr Swinney.
The SNP, which has lurched from crisis to crisis since Nicola Sturgeon announced she was quitting as leader last February, was desperate to avoid a drawn out leadership contest.
The last poll, to replace Ms Sturgeon, saw Mr Yousaf, Ms Forbes and contender Ash Regan publicly trading blows and exposed deep divisions within the party.
Mr Swinney, one of the original intake of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, is seen by many as being able to provide calm leadership at what is a time of political turmoil for Scotland’s governing party.
He has previously served as finance secretary under Alex Salmond when the SNP took power in 2007.
He served in the role for the entirety of Mr Salmond’s tenure, before being appointed deputy first minister by Nicola Sturgeon when she took over.
Over the following nine years, the Perthshire North MSP occupied several ministerial offices in the Scottish Government, including as education secretary, Covid-19 recovery secretary and again in finance, taking over that brief from Ms Forbes while she was on maternity leave.
During his time as Ms Sturgeon’s deputy, he cemented his reputation as a dogged defender of his boss, as well as an SNP stalwart.
