The SNP is “back in business”, First Minister John Swinney has insisted – as he added he is “very optimistic” for next year’s Holyrood elections.
While the party had seen its support drop during a long-running police investigation into its finances, that has now closed, with former first minister Nicola Sturgeon – who had been arrested by police during the Operation Branchform probe – last week cleared of any wrongdoing.
