Scottish SNP minister resigns after turbulent Holyrood week

A Scottish government minister has quit, ending what observers described as one of Holyrood’s most turbulent weeks in years. Jamie Hepburn, the minister for parliamentary business, stepped down after a confrontation with the Scottish Conservatives’ Douglas Ross in the chamber, in which Ross alleged Hepburn attacked him and swore at him. Hepburn acknowledged using strong language but denied the assault allegation. The resignation came only after a full day of political fallout, marking a swift departure by Holyrood standards.

The resignation sits against a backdrop of a fraught seven days in Scottish politics. The week opened with a flurry of international hokuspokus as John Swinney, the deputy first minister, faced questions after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the United States, part of the SNP government’s broader push to secure relief on tariffs for Scotch whisky. That diplomatic moment coincided with a royal weekend in which King Charles hosted a state banquet at Windsor Castle for the American president. Swinney attended the Windsor event, a white-tie affair that did not extend to Labour’s London mayor, Sadiq Khan, in a vignette that underscored the SNP’s appetite for high-profile, international-facing appearances amid domestic tumult.

It was, however, a domestic row about governance that ultimately drew the spotlight back to Holyrood. The sequence that precipitated Hepburn’s departure stemmed from a planned summit on Morayshire’s gull problem, during which Douglas Ross alleges Hepburn grabbed his shoulder, spoke aggressively, and pressed him for a response. Hepburn, who has returned to the backbenches, rejects the assault claim but admits to swearing at Ross. The episode fed a narrative about accountability and transparency in a government that has withstood internal pressures for years.

The decision to resign did not come in a vacuum. It sits in a line of ministerial controversy that has long shadowed the SNP administration. The so-called iPadgate episode, which dominated late 2023 into early 2024, centered on a parliamentary iPad used abroad that ran up an estimated £11,000 in roaming charges. Health secretary Michael Matheson initially defended the cost, then accepted public pressure and ultimately stepped down after a fast-moving timeline. The episode fed a broader critique of how ministers manage resources and public trust, a critique that has persisted as other ministers faced scrutiny over travel arrangements or personal discretionary activity.

The saga did not end with Matheson. Neil Gray, another health portfolio figure, drew attention for chauffeur-driven travel to football matches and a later correction about notes related to those trips. Gray apologized for giving the impression of acting more as a fan than a minister, and the government maintained backing for him despite ongoing questions about the propriety of ministerial travel. Shona Robison, who has led the finance portfolio, also endured a lengthy tenure characterized by budgetary pressures and ongoing NHS challenges, with the government repeatedly underperforming targets and facing sustained public scrutiny of health service delivery.

Across this period, Greenlight for reform or fresh accountability has repeatedly collided with a culture of partisan cohesion within the SNP. Critics argue that the party’s instinct has often been to circle the wagons rather than confront internal shortcomings, a pattern that has reinforced questions about governance in Holyrood. In the weeks ahead, the resignation of Hepburn will intensify those conversations, particularly as Scotland gears up for elections next May. With an entire government awaiting scrutiny, political observers expect questions about leadership, transparency, and accountability to dominate campaign narratives as opponents call for broader changes.

Douglas Ross, who publicly accused Hepburn of an assault in the chamber, also argued that the SNP’s approach to internal discipline has too often allowed ministers to weather controversies without meaningful consequence. Hepburn’s exit, while emphatically not an admission of wrongdoing, could be interpreted as a signal that a broader reckoning is overdue. The immediate political implication is a reshaped parliamentary team and a government that must now demonstrate that it can govern with greater openness and fewer internal distractions as voters prepare to head to the polls.

In the broader arc of Scotland’s political landscape, the question is whether the SNP can recover its standing by restoring public confidence in its ability to deliver on policy while maintaining a culture of accountability. The party has long argued that its internal discipline is a sign of steady governance, but critics insist that a series of ministerial controversies has eroded trust. As campaigns begin to sharpen their messages ahead of the election, opposition parties are likely to press the government to explain not only the Hepburn episode but the pattern of past controversies and the steps the administration will take to ensure robust oversight and reform.

The resignation of Hepburn, while significant, is also a reminder that the SNP faces an ongoing challenge: to navigate internal alignment, public perception, and the practical demands of governing a devolved nation. For Scotland’s voters, the question remains whether the changes at Holyrood will translate into more transparent and accountable government, or whether the political cycle will continue to privilege dramatic headlines over durable reforms. As the campaign season advances, observers say the focus will be on how the SNP responds to this episode and whether it can demonstrate a renewed commitment to accountability in government.