EXCLUSIVE: Allies say Swinney has moved left in recent years, with the First Minister saying his time in charge of schools was pivotal.
John Swinney has said serving as Nicola Sturgeon ’s Education Secretary changed his politics by focusing on child poverty. The First Minister said witnessing the “corrosive” effect of deprivation on kids altered his outlook fundamentally.
Swinney was considered a moderate, centrist figure during these periods, but allies say he has moved leftwards in recent years. Asked by the Record if it was covid that changed him politically, he replied: “I don’t think covid changed me. I think being Education Secretary changed me because I saw very, very directly the corrosive effect of poverty.
Alex Salmond Nicola Sturgeon Scottish National Party Child Benefits Education
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