Nicola Sturgeon's decision to step down as First Minister and SNP leader has stunned the world of Scottish politics. The First Minister announced on Wednesday morning that she would quit after eight years at the top as soon as her party elected a successor.
But Sturgeon refused to say who she would prefer to take over from her in Bute House. Just three people have led the SNP since Alex Salmond took the job for the first time in 1990.
Here are six of the likely candidates for the SNP leadership election which is set to dominate the political news agenda for weeks to come.
Humza Yousaf
The current Health and Social Care Secretary is one of the most high-profile people in the Scottish Government. Yousaf has come under fire recently for long NHS waiting times and for urging the public to “think twice” before calling 999 in September 2021.
Before taking up his current role in May 2021, he was Justice Secretary for nearly three years. The 37-year-old was first elected as a list MSP for Glasgow in 2011 before becoming the Glasgow Pollok MSP in 2016.
Kate Forbes
One of the bright young stars of the party, Kate Forbes was found as the favourite to succeed Sturgeon in a poll at the weekend. She was elected as an MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch in 2016.
The 32-year-old from Dingwall came to prominence three years ago when she became Finance Secretary and delivered the Scottish budget on the day her predecessor Derek Mackay quit. Forbes has recently been on maternity leave after giving birth to a daughter in August.
There have been concerns over her faith, as she is a member of the Free Church of Scotland. She made an anti-abortion statement in 2018 and abstained on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill in December.
Angus Robertson
Robertson was Ian Blackford’s predecessor as SNP Westminster leader, holding the role between 2007 and 2017. He was also depute leader of the party between 2016 and 2018.
After losing his Westminster seat in 2017, Robertson became MSP for Edinburgh Central in 2021. He is now Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.
John Swinney
The Deputy First Minister since 2014 is another high-profile figure in the party. Swinney was SNP leader from 2000 until 2004, leading the party in the 2001 UK election and 2003 Scottish election. The SNP lost one seat in 2001 and eight seats in 2003.
Swinney was also Finance Minister between 2007 and 2016 and was Education Minister between 2016 and 2021. He is currently the Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery.
Keith Brown
The depute leader of the SNP and Justice Secretary has been an MSP since the 2007 Scottish Parliament election. He has been in the limelight a lot recently talking about the Isla Bryson case.
Before becoming Justice Secretary in 2021, Brown held four different ministerial roles. He became depute leader of the party in 2018.
Mairi McAllan
The MSP for Clydesdale and only turned 30 this week but has impressed since being elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2021.
McAllan became Environment Minister only two weeks after becoming an MSP and has been tipped as a rising star in the party. The former solicitor was unsuccessful in running for a seat in 2017.
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