S enior nationalist politicians are looking to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the Scottish National Party and First Minister of the na...
Senior nationalist politicians are looking to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the Scottish National Party and First Minister of the nation's devolved assembly.
Ms Sturgeon announced last week that she was to stand down after eight years in those roles. She is both the parliament's longest-serving leader and the first woman to hold the office.
Three candidates, all current or former ministers, have entered the race so far.
Who is in the race?
Health and Social Care Secretary Humza Yousaf
Mr Yousaf was first to announce his candidacy for SNP leadership.
“This is the top job in the country and it needs somebody who has experience,” said Mr Yousaf, whose career was influenced by the late Bashir Ahmad, Scotland's first Muslim MSP.
He was appointed to the health role in May 2021 and was the youngest MSP elected to the Scottish Parliament, aged 26.
Now 37, he has served in numerous government departments and in 2018 he became cabinet secretary for justice.
He has also been the face of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill, which has drawn criticism over its effect on freedom of expression.
Ash Regan
Ms Regan is a former community safety minister, having resigned in October over gender recognition legislation championed by Ms Sturgeon.
She joined the SNP after the public rejected independence in 2014. She was then selected to stand in the Edinburgh Eastern constituency in the 2016 Holyrood elections.
Ms Regan said she wants to bring together pro-independence parties and organisations to discuss a way towards a constitutional convention similar to the movement that built pressure on the British government for devolution in the 1990s.
“On my first day as leader, I will call for an independence convention to be held,” she said. “We will create a new vision of an independent Scotland.”
Finance and Economy Secretary Kate Forbes
Ms Forbes was first tipped as a potential candidate to succeed Ms Sturgeon as First Minister in 2020.
Her calmness under pressure was applauded after being promoted to finance job when it became unexpectedly vacant, and then having to deliver the budget only hours later.
Born in Dingwall in the Scottish Highlands, she was elected in 2016 and was a convener of the Scottish Parliament's cross-party group on Gaelic language and culture.
At 32, she would be Scotland’s youngest leader if she wins. She is on maternity leave after the birth of her first child last year.
“The choices that we make in the next few weeks will have a profound impact on our future and on our children's future,” she said.
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