Connor Gillies

Sky News understands the first thing PM said when Swinney raised another referendum was Labour doesn’t support independence. First Minister’s team claims upcoming meeting between pair is to “discuss a referendum”. Downing St say agenda is “shared issues” like cost of living.🤷🏽‍♂️

✏️Thoughts for @SkyNews 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗡𝗣 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿. 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗲? The SNP’s collapse-and-recovery cycle between 2023 and 2026 is one of the clearest recent examples in British politics of how a governing party can survive what appears to be terminal decline… if it resolves the question of leadership quickly enough and restores internal discipline. For a period in 2024, the SNP looked finished as Scotland’s dominant political force. The Humza Yousaf era had created a genuine sense of political car crash, a government constantly firefighting, a party at war with itself, and a leadership that appeared overwhelmed by events rather than in control of them. Yousaf inherited an SNP already weakened by the end of the Nicola Sturgeon era and the party’s internal turmoil, but his premiership accelerated the crisis. The collapse of the power-sharing agreement with the Greens became the defining moment. Instead of reasserting authority, Yousaf looked politically stranded. Every week seemed to bring another crisis, another rebellion, another damaging headline. Inside the SNP, many told me they felt his leadership was becoming fatal to the party’s survival in government. By the time Yousaf was forced out, the atmosphere around the SNP was one of terminal decline. The disastrous 2024 Westminster election result appeared to confirm it. Labour surged across Scotland, SNP seats collapsed, and for the first time in years there was a serious assumption that the nationalists could lose power entirely at Holyrood in 2026. Polling pointed towards a Labour victory and Anas Sarwar was virtually measuring up the curtains in the First Minister’s official residence. What changed the political weather was not a dramatic abstract reinvention, but something much simpler… stability. John Swinney’s rapid installation as leader allowed the SNP to stop the bleeding. He was not brought in to excite voters; he was brought in to calm the party down. Swinney restored discipline, lowered the temperature and, crucially, bought the SNP time. Instead of months of infighting and leadership warfare, the party quickly coalesced around a figure most factions could tolerate. That breathing space proved decisive. As attention shifted towards Westminster, Labour began creating problems for itself in government. The more chaotic politics at UK level became, the more the SNP benefited from looking comparatively stable again in Scotland. By the time the 2026 Holyrood election approached, the political environment had fundamentally changed. The sense of inevitable SNP collapse had faded, and the party had rebuilt credibility (among some) to recover strongly. There is an obvious lesson for Labour and Keir Starmer. Mid-term leadership crises do not always destroy governing parties. Sometimes removing a weakened leader quickly can prevent a collapse from becoming permanent. What voters will tolerate is change. What they are less likely to bare is the feeling that nobody is in control.

Scottish Labour MP Maureen Burke is ushered away from @SkyNews camera as I attempted to ask whether the Prime Minister should quit. She then concedes “that’s a conversation we will have.”

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Prominent academic expert in Scottish politics tells @SkyNews we are “probably not” likely to see another referendum in next five years despite SNP & Greens independence majority... youtu.be/3uKW6BEnD0w?si…

The SNP is by far the biggest party in Scotland's chamber. However, the much-coveted majority, which First Minister John Swinney craved, failed to materialise. Sky's @ConnorGillies looks back on the day. ⬇️ trib.al/bny0fbq

The Scottish National Party (SNP) will be the largest party in the Scottish Parliament, but has once again failed to secure a majority. Sky's @ConnorGillies explains what this means for the future. trib.al/2QxSApC

NEW: Anas Sarwar tells @SkyNews Scottish Labour “made the case for change and ultimately it’s an argument we lost.” He dodges questions from reporters about his own future but says he “stands by” demand for Prime Minister to resign.

The first results in the Scottish Parliament elections are in. The Lib Dems have held Orkney Islands and the SNP have held Dundee City West. Sky's @ConnorGillies reacts ⬇️ 🔗 trib.al/0aJJHsY 📺 Sky 501

'Why did you think you could get away with it?' Sky's @ConnorGillies questions former SNP council leader outside Falkirk Crown Court. Jordan Linden, 30, was convicted of 10 offences - including five sexual assaults, stalking and sexual communication trib.al/AADQxc3

NEW: Angry crowd shout “animal” & “beast” outside court as ex-SNP rising star Jordan Linden arrives to be sentenced for serial sex offences against boys & young men. Linden jailed for 18 months. He refuses to answer more @SkyNews questions about abusing his power.

NEW: Shamed Jordan Linden departs court after sentencing for his serial sex offending was delayed. I ask the former SNP rising star why he repeatedly refuses to say sorry to those he harmed & whether he’s preparing for prison. @SkyNews

NEW: Ex SNP rising star Jordan Linden refuses to say sorry to victims he sexually attacked and preyed on for a decade. His family tell @SkyNews camera to “fuck off” as we question the former Lanarkshire council chief.

NEW: President Donald Trump has phoned SNP leader John Swinney to discuss the US scrapping whisky tariffs. The 9 minute call also included talks about Iran war. Swinney’s team also revealed a message sent to him from POTUS last night. 👇🏼 @SkyNews

Sky's @ConnorGillies is given rare access with a police unit tasked with tackling a rising number of cases of online child sexual abuse. 🔗 trib.al/BQ6f2Bf

NEW: A Scottish spokeswoman for Donald Trump has branded Green leader Zack Polanski an "imbecile" after he called for the US President to be "kicked out” of his Scottish golf courses over his actions internationally. @SkyNews

NEW: Police Scotland say a 38 year old prisoner has been arrested and charged after a sexual assault on a woman within HMP Greenock. @SkyNews understands the alleged offender is a transgender inmate who was born male & now identifies as female.

💥Mega YouGov poll of nearly 4000 Scottish voters for @SkyNews and Times suggests SNP on course for Holyrood majority. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Polls projects SNP on 67 seats while Reform could become official opposition followed by Labour in third place. news.sky.com/video/share-13…

A man who mounted a campaign of domestic abuse against his wife has been jailed in the first case of its kind in Scotland after she took her own life. Sky's @ConnorGillies reports ⬇️

NEW: Scotland makes up 7 of the UK’s 10 most expensive places to buy diesel today amid Iran crisis. 💰The priciest? ⛽️ 229.0p/litre in Thurso, Highlands. 🚙 Skye, Arran, Inverness-shire, Barra, Glasgow & Forfar also feature, according to Fuel Finder data seen by @SkyNews.

Welcome to Scotland, where reporting on the plight of island communities makes you a ‘traitor to your country’. 🧐🤯