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Mr Yousaf resigned after ending a power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens, which means the SNP now runs a minority government in the Scottish Parliament.<\/p>\n
The party has also had to deal with an on-going police investigation into its finances.<\/p>\n
Last week this resulted in a report being sent a report to Scotland’s prosecution service in relation to former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, the husband of former leader Nicola Sturgeon, who was charged with embezzling party funds.<\/p>\n
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said earlier this week that voters were telling her party on the doorsteps that they are “fed up with the broken status quo after 17 years of the SNP and 14 years of the Tories”.<\/p>\n
The Scottish Conservatives, meanwhile, are hopeful of holding on to their existing seats north of the border – and believe they can win some more – and are urging voters to “show the SNP the red card”.<\/p>\n
Mr Swinney denied he is feeling the heat from Labour despite taking over the leadership after a difficult period for his party. <\/p>\n
He said: “That’s why I’m here. I’m here because the SNP faced a tough challenge and faces that. <\/p>\n
“But we’re working around the country to try to overcome that and I’m giving it all of my energy to make sure the SNP successful in this election.”<\/p>\n
The choice facing the electorate on 4 July has been framed as a straight battle for Number 10 between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.<\/p>\n
But Mr Swinney denied the easiest way to “get rid of the Tories” was to vote Labour.<\/p>\n
He said: “We’ve got six Tory MPs in Scotland and the SNP are the challengers in every single one of those constituencies. <\/p>\n
“So we’re second place in each constituency. <\/p>\n
“So if we want to numerically get rid of the Tories in Scotland, people should vote SNP and that will get rid of the Tories in those constituencies.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Mr Swinney said he believed it was important for the SNP to continue to be the third largest party in the United Kingdom and criticised the decision to exclude the party from some UK-wide TV leadership debates.<\/p>\n
He said: “I think it’s ridiculous that broadcasters are tolerating a situation that they’re not having the leader of the third party on their on their broadcast debates. <\/p>\n
“I think it’s absolutely preposterous. <\/p>\n
“It’s anti democratic, and broadcasters need to reflect on it.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n