JOHN Swinney says the main priority of the new SNP Scottish Government over the next five years is "to govern for all the people of Scotland" - despite his party not yet having a majority of MSPs elected.
Talking to BBC Breakfast’s Charlie Stayt,when asked if his party would get a majority of seats, Swinney said he wouldn't be drawn until all votes had been counted.
At the time of commenting, results had been called for 115 of the 129 seats at Holyrood, including Swinney's Perthshire North seat which he comfortably staved off defeat by Murdo Fraser, beating the Conservative by 16,526 votes to 13,190.
However Fraser took 38.77 per cent of the vote, an increase of more than 12 percentage points on the 2011 election - around the same proportion Swinney lost.
So far, the SNP have 60 seats - five short of a majority.
Stayt put it to Swinney that the SNP had “reached its high watermark” and that “cracks are starting to show” in the party.
Swinney dismissed the remarks, saying the result was “an overwhelming endorsement after nine years of government”, and pointed to constituencies where this party had overturned Labour and others where SNP candidates had increased their majorities.
He said: "This has been a remarkable night for the SNP.
"We’ve delivered a historic third term. Over a million people voted for the SNP last night – the largest number of people who’ve ever voted for one party in the history of the Scottish Parliament."
In addition to the SNP's 60 sears, the Conservatives have 25, Labour 20, the LibDems four and Scottish Greens six.
Election expert John Curtice is predicting a final result of SNP 63, Conservative 31, Labour 24, LibDems five and the Scottish Greens six.
When asked what bearing the election result had on the constitutional debate and the question of a second referendum on Scottish independence, Swinney affirmed what he said his party’s message was during the campaign: that a wish for such a vote would have to come from a majority of the Scottish people.
“We have to earn the right to call a referendum,” he said. “There has to be a clear, consistent and demonstrable majority support for one.
“That doesn’t exist today. We have to convince the people of Scotland of the merits of the case.
“For the next five years, the priority of the SNP is to govern for all the people of Scotland.”
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