"They had managed to have three leaders in a little over a year: Nicola Sturgeon, Humza Yousaf and then John Swinney. It was a rate of attrition that would make even the Conservative Party of recent years blush. There had also been a high-profile and long-running police investigation into the SNP's finances, involving Sturgeon, who was told earlier this year she would face no action."
"Plus there were bitter rows over gender identity. And the SNP has been in devolved government in Scotland since before you could buy an iPhone since May 2007. Electoral gravity looked to be catching up with them, and catching up big time just ahead of the crucial elections to the Scottish Parliament next May. PA Media But in case you needed yet another reminder that our domestic politics remains a smorgasbord of competitiveness and unpredictability, the SNP is the latest case study."
The SNP faced severe setbacks after a general election rout, rapid leadership turnover, a police probe into finances, and internal disputes over gender identity. The party's long incumbency heightened worries about electoral fatigue ahead of the Scottish Parliament election. John Swinney has brought stability, and opposition support has fragmented among Labour, Reform and the Conservatives. Polling indicates Labour support in Scotland has more than halved while the SNP has marginally improved and Reform has emerged as a potential second-place force, suppressing Conservatives and eroding Labour. Fragmentation among rivals could leave the SNP close to, but short of, a Holyrood majority.
Read at www.bbc.com
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