John Swinney sworn in as first minister of Scotland

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Scottish National Party (SNP) leader John Swinney on Wednesday was sworn in as Scotland’s new first minister.

Swinney officially became the head of Scotland’s devolved government after a formal ceremony in the capital Edinburgh.

The 60-year-old politician is expected to form his government soon, with Cabinet posts expected to be announced later Wednesday, according to reports.

The swearing-in came after Swinney, the former deputy first minister, was voted into the post on Tuesday, replacing Humza Yousaf.

He received the backing of 64 MSPs, while Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross was supported by 31, followed by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar with 22 votes and the Scottish Liberal Democrats leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, winning four.

Following the vote, Swinney said: "It is the privilege of my life to serve as the first minster of Scotland. I will be the first minister for everyone in our country."

"It’s time to write the next chapter in Scotland’s story and unite for Independence," the Scottish National Party (SNP) wrote on X.

On April 29, Yousaf resigned as Scotland's first minister, saying he was not willing to trade his principles to win a no-confidence vote.