Internal party division

In the 2000 leadership election, John Swinney succeeded Salmond as leader of the SNP, after defeating Alex Neil.^[1][2] The election was seen as a fight between the SNP's fundamentalists, who Neil represented, and gradualists, who Swinney represented.^[3][4][5] Both campaigns disagreed on the approach of gaining Scottish independence, and these differing views, would dominate the leadership of Swinney.^[6]

Swinney led the SNP through the 2001 UK General election and the 2003 election to the 2nd Scottish Parliament. In both elections, the SNP performed poorly and the media raised some doubt about his ability to lead the party. In the aftermath of the SNP's poor election performance in 2003, Bill Wilson, a party activist, became convinced that a change of direction was needed by the SNP leadership. After discussing this with various SNP members, he was persuaded to contest the leadership himself and launched a challenge against the Swinney.^[7][8] Wilson ran a campaign attacking Swinney's proposals for party reform, which he claimed would centralise power and impoverish local branches. Wilson also challenged Swinney to a series of debates, although Swinney refused to take part.^[9] Wilson also attacked what he saw as the "New Labourization" of the party, and argued that the party was more effective at pressuring Labour into changing positions on issues, rather than actively seeking power itself.^[10]

The election was also yet another fight between the party's Fundamentalists and gradualists, with Wilson attacking Swinney's proposal for a referendum on independence before pursuing negotiations with the British government. Wilson argued that as soon as the SNP can form a government it should pursue negotiations to end the union. Roseanna Cunningham called Wilson was a "stalking horse" candidate put forward to "weaken and damage" the leadership.^[11]

The election was held at the party's 69th annual conference, and saw Swinney winning a massive victory over Wilson. Moves in support of Wilson's proposition of pursuing independence negotiations without a referendum were thrown out at the party conference, and Swinney won significant policy battles over imposing a monthly levy on party MP's, MSP's, and MEP's. In a surprise result, the new central membership system was also approved. The membership changes had been a key issue of attack from Wilson.^[11] This was the last SNP election to use the delegate voting method. Future elections would be based on a one-person-one-vote postal vote system.^[12]

Following a disappointing European election result in 2004, which saw the party dropping to less than 20% of the vote, senior figures within the SNP began privately briefing against Swinney. Gil Paterson, a former MSP for Central Scotland was the first to call for Swinney's departure, with Michael Russell, a former potential campaign manager for Swinney calling for a change in approach from the SNP. Members of the SNP shadow cabinet began privately discussing removing Swinney from the leadership, and Alex Salmond advised Swinney to resign in exchange for senior party figures not calling openly for his resignation. He resigned on 22 June 2004 triggering a leadership contest.^[13][14]

2004 leadership election

Following the resignation of Swinney, the 2004 SNP leadership contest was held to elect a new leader. Roseanna Cunningham was the first to launch her leadership campaign and she was shortly followed by Sturgeon and Michael Russell.^[15][16][17] Alex Neil, who ran in the previous election against Swinney, considered running again for party leader, although later pulled out of the race.^[18] Neil blamed Alex Salmond for "vetoing" his candidacy, and claimed that both Salmond and Fergus Ewing had stated they would refuse to work with him were he to have been elected. Neil claimed that this treatment was in line with the treatment of him and his supporters since the 2000 leadership election.^[18][13] The fight over who was to succeed Swinney saw the re-emergence of former leader Alex Salmond, who entered the race despite having repeatedly denied any ambitions to run. Most famously, Salmond quipped in June 2004 that "If nominated I'll decline. If drafted I'll defer. And if elected I'll resign."^[19] Salmond launched his campaign less than a month later, on 15 July.^[19] After Salmond announced his campaign for the leadership, Sturgeon dropped her bid, and ran instead for the Depute Leadership. The two ran on a joint campaign. Kenny MacAskill dropped his bid for Depute Leader, and gave his support to Sturgeon.^[19]

The results were announced on 3 September; Salmond defeated Cunningham and Russell, with more than 75% of votes.^[20][21] Sturgeon was elected as Depute Leader, after defeating Fergus Ewing and Christine Grahame.^[22] As Salmond was still an MP in the British House of Commons, Sturgeon led the SNP in the Scottish Parliament as Leader of the Opposition until the 2007 election.^[23]

SNP in government; 2007 to 2014

In the 2007 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP emerged as the largest party, one seat more than the incumbent Scottish Labour administration led by Jack McConnell.^[24] After unsuccessful attempts to form a coalition with the Scottish Liberal Democrats, the SNP formed a minority government with the confidence and supply of the Scottish Greens.^[25][26] For the first time since the Parliament's incarceration in 1999, the SNP entered government with Salmond as First Minister of Scotland.^[27][28]

Salmond made attempts to pass legislation for a referendum on Scottish independence, however, the party's minority and a lack of pro-independence parties failed to obtain support. Salmond pledged to hold an independence referendum if the SNP won another term in office.^[29] In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the SNP won an overwhelming single party majority.^[30] Salmond was re-elected as First Minister and pushed for his manifesto commitment on a referendum.^[31]

2014 Scottish independence referendum

An agreement was signed on 15 October 2012 by David Cameron and Salmond which provided a legal framework for the referendum to be held,^[32] and on 21 March 2013 the SNP government announced that the referendum would be held on 18 September 2014.^[33] Scotland's Future, a white paper setting out the Scottish Government's vision for an independent Scotland, was published on 26 November 2013.^[34][35]

Resignation of Alex Salmond

On 19 September 2014, following the results of the independence referendum which confirmed a majority of the Scottish people had voted against independence, Salmond announced that he would be resigning as First Minister in November 2014.^[36]

My time as leader is nearly over, but for Scotland, the campaign continues and the dream shall never die.

— Alex Salmond

Nominated

Declined

The following MSPs were speculated by the media to run for leadership of the SNP but subsequently declined to stand:

• Roseanna Cunningham, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, Minister for Community Safety^[39][40]
• Alex Neil, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (endorsed Sturgeon)^[41][42]
• Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning (endorsed Sturgeon)^[43]
• John Swinney, MSP for Perthshire North, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth (endorsed Sturgeon)^[44][45]
• Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow, Minister for Europe and International Development (endorsed Sturgeon)^[46][41]

Nicola Sturgeon