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The Telegraph
The Telegraph
National
Amy Gibbons

Who could replace Nicola Sturgeon as the next SNP leader?

The next SNP leader candidates from left humza yousaf, john swinney, kate forbes, neil gray, angus robertson
The next SNP leader candidates from left humza yousaf, john swinney, kate forbes, neil gray, angus robertson

An internal battle in the SNP is erupting as candidates begin to announce their bids to replace Nicola Sturgeon after she announced her shock resignation.

The Holyrood veteran has led the party for eight years, making her the longest-serving and first female First Minister since the creation of the Scottish Parliament.

She had been seen as a safe pair of hands for much of that time, leading the SNP to repeated election victories at UK, Scottish and local level.

But she has been mired in controversy in recent months over gender reforms blocked by Westminster and the housing of transgender prisoners.

On Saturday, Humza Yousaf, the Scottish health secretary, and former minister Ash Regan both announced they will stand in the race, marking the first official bids to replace Ms Sturgeon.

Here, The Telegraph takes a closer look at those who have launched bids, those tipped to run and those who have already ruled themselves out of the race.

Who has already declared?

Ash Regan

Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Eastern Constituency, 48

Former SNP minister Ash Regan, who led the rebellion against Ms Sturgeon’s gender reforms, has emerged as a shock contender for the top job.

She publicly confirmed her bid on Saturday with the tagline 'Independence - nothing less.' She said she will "reinvigorate the party, give power to the members and take our party on to further success."

The Edinburgh East MSP quit her post in Ms Sturgeon’s Government to vote against her plans to allow all Scots aged over 16 to change their legal sex by signing a declaration.

Humza Yousaf

Secretary for Health and Social Care, 37

Humza Yousaf, the current health and social care secretary also declared he will run in the race to replace Ms Sturgeon on Saturday. Mr Yousaf said he had been through a "rollercoaster of emotions" since she announced her resignation.

He said: "I've thought hard about it and I've decided to put myself forward as Scotland's next first minister. I'm doing it because the top job requires someone who has experience and I have been trusted by Nicola Sturgeon with some of the toughest jobs in government."

Mr Yousaf was appointed health secretary in May 2021. In 2011 he became the youngest MSP elected to the Scottish Parliament at 26.

He has served in numerous roles and in 2018 was appointed as cabinet secretary for justice. He introduced the Hate Crime Bill, which caused controversy among opposition parties.

Who could be set to declare?

Kate Forbes

Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy, 32

Often touted as a potential successor to Ms Sturgeon, up-and-coming MSP Kate Forbes has recently been on leave from her role as cabinet secretary for finance and economy following the birth of her daughter, Naomi.

Ms Forbes has emerged as the frontrunner for the job. A practising Christian, she has previously noted “politics will pass” while her faith is forever. She is yet to announce a formal bid.

Ms Forbes is a member of the Free Church of Scotland, which conforms to a strict interpretation of the Bible, and was rumoured to be sceptical of Scotland’s gender reforms that were blocked by the UK Government.

Angus Robertson

Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, 53

One of the most familiar faces in the SNP, Angus Robertson was the party’s leader in the House of Commons from 2007 to 2017, serving under both Alex Salmond and Ms Sturgeon.

He headed to Holyrood as MSP for Edinburgh Central in 2021 and remains a senior figure in the party, now holding the Cabinet post of secretary for the constitution, external affairs and culture.

Who has ruled themselves out?

John Swinney

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery, 58

John Swinney, Ms Sturgeon’s deputy and the Cabinet member for Covid Recovery, was perhaps the most obvious candidate but withdrew from the race on Thursday night. 

He was arguably viewed as the sensible choice - even if only in the interim - given his extensive experience in Scottish politics.

Mr Swinney, who has been in the Scottish Parliament since 1999 and served as leader of the party between 2000 and 2004, said: "To create the space for that fresh perspective to emerge, I have decided not to be a candidate for leadership in the SNP. At this critical moment, I believe there must be an open debate within the SNP about our direction." 

Sources close to Ms Sturgeon had insisted that he would have almost certainly won the leadership race if he had run.

Mr Swinney revealed on Friday that he would be likely to endorse one of the candidates who declare, with his backing being a potentially decisive factor in the race.

Mairi McAllan

Minister for Environment and Land Reform, 30

Known to SNP insiders as intelligent and highly ambitious, the 30-year-old former special adviser was immediately appointed as a minister after she was elected to Holyrood in 2021.

Ms McAllan was reported to be "considering" a bid to replace Ms Sturgeon, but has since ruled herself out of the race. She said in a statement: "I have thought very seriously about entering the contest."

She added : "I believe it is vital that progressive voices including those of women and young people, are central to our Party, our government and to the Scotland we are seeking to build. Our voices matter and they must be heard.

"However, for various reasons, at this stage I have concluded that now is not the right time for me to seek the very top job of leading our party and country."

As a solicitor, she styled herself as an Erin Brockovich-style legal campaigner who set up the "RebLaw" organisation which aims to “organise, agitate and litigate” for social change. 

Neil Gray

Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, 36

Originally seen as a dark horse in the leadership contest, the former MP, who made the switch to Holyrood in 2021, also ruled himself out of the contest on Sunday.

He said in a statement that he had "seriously considered" whether he was the "right person to do the job" but concluded against running this time round due to the young age of his children and his level of experience in government. 

He went on to endorse Mr Yousaf for the role, saying: "My view is that Humza Yousaf has the skills and experience to bring people across the party and civic Scotland together behind our vision for a fairer independent Scotland. I will therefore be giving him my full support as the next SNP leader and First Minister of Scotland."

Mr Gray is a protégé of Alex Neil, a former SNP minister who has become a leading critic of Ms Sturgeon. However, he has been careful to show himself to be a loyal member of Ms Sturgeon's Government at Holyrood.

As the minister for culture, Europe and international development, he was handed responsibility for the SNP’s resettlement scheme for Ukrainian refugees.

While the scheme ran into major difficulties due to a lack of housing, he managed to largely shut down fierce initial criticisms of the plan to house victims of the war on cruise ships, after ensuring the facilities were well-equipped.

Keith Brown

Deputy SNP Leader and Secretary for Justice and Veterans, 61

Just two weeks ago Scottish Tory Murdo Fraser was so confident that Keith Brown, the deputy SNP leader, would take the reins at the top of the party that he encouraged people to take a bet.

However, on Sunday, he also ruled himself out of the race. He said: "I have come to the conclusion that, as Depute Leader, I can best serve the interests of the SNP by supporting the Party through the forthcoming process, and providing a degree of continuity as we come to terms with Nicola’s resignation."

Mr Brown declined to endorse another candidate in the leadership contest. He said: "As Depute Leader, I will not publicly endorse any candidate, but would appeal to all members to get involved in a robust but respectful contest as we progress the case for Scotland’s independence."

The justice secretary, a former Royal Marine, entered the Scottish Parliament in 2007 and has served in his Cabinet post since 2021. 

He has been forced to contend with the fallout from the controversial Isla Bryson case in recent weeks, ordering an urgent review into the affair and pausing the movement of transgender prisoners into women’s jails if they have a history of violence.

Who do you think would be the best person for the job? Tell us in our poll below.

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