- John Swinney has said that the SNP have “emphatically” won the Scottish Parliament election.
- At the time of publishing, Mr Swinney’s party secured 55 seats as 70 of Scotland's 73 constituencies have declared their results. The final regional list seats for Holyrood are expected later on Friday evening.
- Mr Swinney said: “Once again the people of Scotland have put their trust in us. However you voted today, I promise that I will be a First Minister for all of Scotland.”
- Mr Swinney added that Downing Street has “a lot of listening to do” as he called for respect between the two governments after relations had “soured” through the course of the campaign.
- “Now the Labour Government has just been hammered in Scotland and I hope that lesson is learned in Downing Street that there’s now got to be respect for the Scottish Government exercised by the UK Government,” he said.
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