Nicola Sturgeon formally resigns as first minister

Nicola Sturgeon has officially tendered her resignation arsenic Scotland's archetypal curate successful a missive to the King.

Ms Sturgeon announced past period that she would basal down erstwhile a successor was appointed.

Humza Yousaf was elected to regenerate her arsenic SNP person connected Monday - and volition beryllium confirmed arsenic the caller archetypal curate successful a Holyrood ballot connected Tuesday afternoon.

After penning her resignation letter, Ms Sturgeon near her Bute House residence for the last time.

She was Scotland's longest-serving archetypal minister, having spent 3,051 days - much than 8 years - successful the role.

Ms Sturgeon was seen embracing the household unit who enactment astatine Bute House and posed for photographs with her squad arsenic she prepared to permission the Edinburgh residence.

As she walked down the stairs of the building, which are adorned with pictures of the archetypal ministers, a nail could beryllium seen protruding from the partition acceptable for the representation of her successor.

A spokesperson for the Scottish authorities said: "She formally tendered her resignation successful penning this greeting to His Majesty King Charles III. This has been accepted and the Scottish Parliament has been notified."

Mr Yousaf volition beryllium formally elected arsenic Ms Sturgeon's successor and Scotland's sixth archetypal curate successful a ballot of MSPs.

The caller SNP person is virtually definite to go the archetypal taste number person of a devolved authorities by winning a bulk of the votes.

The leaders of the 3 absorption parties - the Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems - are expected to basal against him, but person nary imaginable of winning the contest.

The Scottish Greens - who person a power-sharing statement with the SNP - person already said they volition backmost Mr Yousaf, which should guarantee helium wins a bulk successful the archetypal circular of voting.

All of the candidates volition marque a little code earlier the vote, with Mr Yousaf expected to beryllium formally sworn successful arsenic archetypal curate successful a little ceremonial astatine the Court of Session successful Edinburgh connected Wednesday.

He volition commencement forming his caller furniture squad aboriginal this week, and volition look absorption leaders for the archetypal clip astatine the play First Minister's Questions connected Thursday.

Mr Yousaf won the SNP enactment connected Monday aft narrowly defeating Kate Forbes by 26,032 votes to 23,890 erstwhile the 2nd penchant votes of Ash Regan - who finished a distant 3rd - were reallocated.

Mr Yousaf had been serving arsenic wellness caput and was seen arsenic being Ms Sturgeon's preferred successor - with immoderate pundits amazed astatine however adjacent the last effect was.

Despite the turmoil of the campaign, which saw Ms Forbes motorboat a highly idiosyncratic onslaught connected Mr Yousaf's competence successful a unrecorded TV debate, some of the defeated candidates congratulated the caller person connected his occurrence and urged the enactment to unite down him.

Ms Sturgeon paid tribute to each 3 candidates for "rising to the challenge" during the enactment contest, adding: "Most of each I congratulate Humza Yousaf and privation him each success.

"He volition beryllium an outstanding person and archetypal curate and I could not beryllium prouder to person him win me."

Neil Gray, the civilization curate who managed Mr Yousaf's enactment campaign, has said that the caller archetypal curate would person conversations with some Ms Forbes and Ms Regan astir bringing them into government.

Speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme, Mr Gray besides rejected calls by Scottish Labour for an predetermination to beryllium held.

He said: "Humza has a precise wide mandate, I deliberation that volition beryllium earned by his predetermination contiguous and helium perfectly has the powerfulness to govern going forward."

The SNP repeatedly called for a wide predetermination during past year's Conservative enactment campaign, arguing that whoever took implicit from Boris Johnson would person nary mandate due to the fact that they had been picked by Tory enactment members alternatively than the state arsenic a whole.

But Mr Gray said: "The democratically elected MSPs who take the archetypal curate done a ballot successful the Scottish Parliament person that accidental to bash truthful today.

"This is simply a antithetic concern than what we faced erstwhile Gordon Brown took implicit from Tony Blair, for instance, wherever determination wasn't an predetermination or, indeed, the assorted Conservative leaders who person been elected by the enactment implicit the past fewer years."

Mr Yousaf described himself arsenic the "luckiest antheral successful the world" aft being confirmed arsenic the caller SNP person and pledged to beryllium a "first curate for each of Scotland."

He told voters helium would "work each infinitesimal of each time to gain and re-earn your respect and your trust" and said helium would "kickstart" a grassroots run that would "ensure our thrust for independency is successful 5th gear".

He added: "The radical of Scotland request independency present much than ever before, and we volition beryllium the procreation that delivers independency for Scotland."

Speaking to ITV News aft his victory, Mr Yousaf said helium would inquire the UK authorities to assistance ceremonial consent to clasp different referendum "right away" contempt saying during the run that the enactment indispensable "make definite that we're not obsessing astir Section 30s and de facto referendums due to the fact that radical conscionable don't get inspired by that".

Downing Street has already said it volition not alteration its stance successful opposing a referendum, with the premier minister's spokesperson saying helium would alternatively beryllium focused connected the "issues that matter" to radical similar reducing ostentation and tackling the outgo of surviving crisis.

Scottish Conservative person Douglas Ross said it was "obvious that Humza Yousaf has the incorrect priorities for Scotland" arsenic helium confirmed helium would basal against him successful the archetypal curate vote.

Mr Ross added: "During the enactment predetermination helium focused connected independency supra everything other and truthful I deliberation it's close that the radical of Scotland perceive voices wrong parliament".

Labour's wellness spokeswoman Jackie Baillie claimed that Mr Yousaf had a "woeful record" successful government.

She added: "As transport curate the trains ne'er ran connected time, arsenic justness caput helium trashed the justness system, helium has been the worst wellness caput successful the past of devolution and I americium disquieted helium has simply failed upwards, is retired of his extent and is incompetent and I interest for the country."

After being voted person of the Scottish National Party, we inquire - who is Humza Yousaf?