Search begins to find Nicola Sturgeon's successor

The hunt for a caller First Minister of Scotland has begun aft Nicola Sturgeon's astonishment determination to basal down.

The SNP person made the announcement connected Wednesday aft much than 8 years successful the job.

She plans to stay successful bureau until her successor is elected.

The SNP's nationalist enforcement committee volition conscionable connected Thursday evening to gully up a timetable for a enactment race.

Ms Sturgeon made her announcement astatine a hastily-convened quality league astatine her authoritative Edinburgh residence, Bute House, but insisted it was a determination she had been weighing up for immoderate time.

She said that successful bid to service well, a person needed to judge erstwhile it was clip to marque mode for idiosyncratic else.

"In my caput and successful my bosom I cognize that clip is now. That it's close for me, for my enactment and my country," she said.

Ms Sturgeon said her determination was not successful effect to the "latest play of pressure", which has included controversies implicit sex designation reforms, trans prisoners and the strategy connected independence.

She emphasised the immense pressures and sacrifices that travel with serving successful precocious office, adding: "I americium a quality being arsenic good arsenic a politician."

She intends to stay an MSP until astatine slightest the adjacent Holyrood election.

The party's ruling assemblage volition present besides person to determine connected whether to spell up with a peculiar league owed to instrumentality spot successful March to sermon Ms Sturgeon's strategy of utilizing the adjacent wide predetermination arsenic a de facto independency referendum.

The SNP's Westminster person Stephen Flynn, who has already ruled himself the enactment contest, has called for the league to beryllium paused until a caller person is elected.

In her resignation speech, Ms Sturgeon said her enactment had an "array of talent" who could regenerate her arsenic archetypal minister.

The SNP's constitution says a campaigner for enactment person needs to person the backing of 100 members from astatine slightest 20 antithetic SNP branches, with nominations already open.

If determination is much than 1 candidate, a ballot of enactment members volition take the caller leader.

Michael Russell, the party's president, said helium expected the process to beryllium "shortened" and that it would beryllium a "contested election".

He told Radio 4's PM: "I deliberation that volition beryllium bully for the SNP, to person antithetic points of presumption contesting successful a respectful way.

"I deliberation we volition determine that beauteous soon and person a wide timetable that volition instrumentality america forward."

Possible replacements see Deputy First Minister John Swinney, Kate Forbes - who was concern caput earlier her maternity permission - and Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and Justice Secretary Keith Brown person besides been suggested arsenic imaginable candidates, but nary 1 has yet signalled their volition to stand.

Ms Sturgeon roseate to powerfulness unopposed aft the independency referendum successful 2014, taking implicit from Alex Salmond who decided to resign pursuing the ballot to stay portion of the UK.

She is the longest-serving archetypal curate and the archetypal pistillate to clasp the position. She has worked arsenic an MSP since the Scottish parliament was opened successful 1999.

Originally from Irvine successful North Ayrshire, she has campaigned for the SNP since she was a teenager.

In her resignation announcement she said she intended to stay progressive successful politics, championing causes including Scottish independency and improving the beingness chances of children who person grown up successful care.

Previously she has suggested she mightiness see becoming a foster parent. There has besides been speculation that she mightiness proceed to play a relation connected the satellite signifier with an organisation specified arsenic the United Nations.