(Bloomberg) -- Scotland’s new First Minister John Swinney appointed a political rival and past leadership candidate Kate Forbes as his deputy, in an attempt to unite his divided Scottish National Party ahead of a UK-wide election this year. 

Forbes, a former finance secretary under long-time leader Nicola Sturgeon, had been widely expected to challenge Swinney for the top job, which was made vacant with the sudden resignation of Humza Yousaf just over a week ago.

But the 34-year-old chose not to stand in this month’s SNP leadership contest, in part to avoid a repeat of the last one she lost a year ago that exposed deep internal divisions from which the party is still struggling to recover. 

Swinney, who was elected unopposed as SNP leader on Monday and was sworn in as first minister on Wednesday, said Forbes will now succeed Shona Robison as Scotland’s deputy first minister.

The appointment comes as Swinney tries to unite his fractured party following a string of scandals, unpopular policies and unforced errors and as opinion polls showing the SNP losing ground to Keir Starmer’s Labour Party ahead of UK-wide election expected later this year. 

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