Swinney expected to become Scotland’s first minister next week after Kate Forbes rules herself out – as it happened

Here is video of John Swinney making his leadership announcement earlier.

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2 May 202408.29 EDT

Yousaf condemns Home Office's detention raids on asylum seekers as 'inhumane'

Severin Carrell

Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s outgoing first minister, has denounced the Home Office’s “inhumane” and “cruel” detention raids on asylum seekers and urged the UK government to scrap the policy. Speaking during first minister’s questions, he said:

I deplore the inhumane Home Office enforcement action that we’ve seen; detaining people to forcibly remove them to Rwanda is cruel, and punishes some of the most vulnerable in our society.

Yousaf was asked by Scottish National party MSP Karen Adams about the Guardian’s report on Sunday that the Home Office was to start detaining asylum seekers for forced deportation to Rwanda. Yousaf replied:

At times like this we all have an obligation to just step back. Actually think about what’s going on here - in a country, the UK, where those who flee persecution, war or extreme poverty, come to our shores.

What has happened to a UK that’s often opened its homes, its hearts, its arms to people who are seeking sanctuary? Instead we have a UK government that wants to pit community against community, person against person, race against race.

He said the SNP had consistently opposed the Safety of Rwanda Act’s measures, and deplored the UK government’s “hostile environment rhetoric.” He said the policy breached the UK international obligations to refugees.

I’m afraid that inflammatory rhetoric, that stoking the flames of division is only detrimental for each and every single one of us.

I hope every single member of this chamber will play their part in ensuring that we put out the flames as opposed to stoking the flames of racial, religious, tension that I’m afraid this Rwanda act undoubtedly inflames.

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Ian Blackford, the former SNP leader at Westminster has just told Radio 4’s the World at One that he hopes Kate Forbes will decide not to stand for the SNP leadership. Describing himself as a friend of hers, he said it would be best for the party, for the Scottish government and for Scotland if she were to serve in a John Swinney administration.

Forbes is due to make an announcement about her plans this afternoon. Asked if he knew what she would be saying, Blackford avoided the question, but he said he would advise her to get behind Swinney. She had “an incredible part” to play in his government, he said.

Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the Commons, has joked about claims that she is preparing to replace Rishi Sunak in the event of a leadership challenge taking place after the local elections.

Speaking during business questions in the Commons this morning, Mordaunt said:

I … have read that I’m to be installed rather like a new boiler into No 10 next week, and I have to say there is as much truth to these stories as there is in Labour’s assurances to its business community that it isn’t actually going to do the things it’s been saying it’s going to do, as it’s promised its union paymasters.

But let me say again, I support our prime minister and I will continue to support him after this weekend and beyond.

Mordaunt was responding to a question from Labour’s Nick Smith, shadow deputy leader of the Commons, mocking her and several other ministers are are said to be plotting to replace Sunak.

And in response to a claim from Smith that Tories are hoping something will crop up between now and the general election to revive their chances, Mordaunt said:

I think something is going to crop up because whether it’s pensions, the NHS, rail tax or welfare, the Labour party claim they are going to do one thing, but are planning another and I think the public will see through this.

It is the most audacious deception since the Big Bad Wolf donned a nightie and asked Little Red Riding Hood to admire his upper dentures. But unlike Red Riding Hood, the British people have met this wolf before and they remember it doesn’t end well.

Back at FMQs Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, said both possible candidates in the SNP leadership contest offered chaos. He said John Swinney was the worst education secretary in the Scottish parliament’s history, and he deleted Covid messages that should have been shown to the inquiry. And Kate Forbes would be more suited to the Conservative party than to the SNP, he claimed.

This is from Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader at Westminser, on John Swinney’s leadership campaign launch.

The unifying statement of intent from John Swinney this morning could not have been more impressive.

Precisely what the party, but more importantly the public, needed to hear.

A man who speaks to all of Scotland, he will lead us to a brighter future.

Ross says Yousaf is lashing out at the Scottish Tories because they forced him out of his job. John Swinney is pushing for independence. That means more division for Scotland, he says.

Yousaf says whoever stands for the leadership of the SNP will be defending the record of the government. He claims the only reason Westminster is refusing to allow another second independence referendum is because it fears the result.