SNP must focus on issues that matter to Scottish people, says John Swinney

The first minister says after a private session that members blamed its election result on a host of scandals

The Scottish National party can only move on from the successive scandals that resulted in heavy election losses by focusing on the issues that matter to the people of Scotland, the party leader, John Swinney, has said.

The first minister acknowledged that SNP members had blamed the party's disastrous election result - plummeting from 48 seats to nine - on scandals such as the embezzlement charges against former chief executive and former health secretary Michael Matheson's 11,000 iPad expenses claim.