The Scottish National party has had a high turnover of leaders lately – and it appears to be facing the same problem with its chief executives. Now Murray Foote has resigned from the post after just 14 months in the role, taking to Twitter/X today to announce his departure. The former Daily Record editor who published the ‘Vow’ front-page – where political leaders from different unionist parties came together to promise more devolution for Scotland if the country voted No – wrote this morning that:
I have today confirmed my intention to step down as chief executive of the SNP. The party has recently embarked on a substantial process of internal re-organisation and renewal to better equip it for current electoral contests and to prepare for the critical Scottish parliament elections in 2026. While I agree these changes are both essential and appropriate, I also recognised after a period of reflection that I could not make the necessary personal commitment to leading the delivery of these changes into 2026 and beyond. In the circumstances, I concluded it would be in my best interests and the best interests of the party that I step down to give my replacement the time and space to mould and develop these changes in a manner they deem appropriate.
How curious. Foote went on:
I also believe that in First Minister John Swinney, our party has the right leader at the right time to advance the cause of Scottish independence and I look to the future with renewed optimism as I support him in that cause.
The ex-journalist isn’t a stranger to being the subject of newspaper headlines, either. Foote resigned as the party’s spin doctor after it transpired he had been unwittingly feeding false information to reporters about the SNP’s membership figures. His rather angry statement at the time resulted in then-CEO Peter Murrell – husband of Dear Leader Nicola Sturgeon – to step back, just months before he was arrested in connection with the police probe into the SNP’s funds and finances. As Murrell has since been charged with embezzlement, Mr S reckons he will not be making a return to the exec role – leaving the beleaguered Nats to find someone else to fill the vacancy. Stay tuned…
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