SNP to announce Nicola Sturgeon's successor

The victor of the contention to win Nicola Sturgeon arsenic SNP person is to beryllium announced later.

Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes person been lasting successful the race, with the palmy campaigner to beryllium revealed successful Edinburgh astatine astir 14:00.

The victor volition look a ballot astatine Holyrood connected Tuesday earlier besides being confirmed arsenic Scotland's caller archetypal minister.

Ms Sturgeon announced past period that she was lasting down aft much than 8 years successful the roles.

The votes volition beryllium counted erstwhile the online ballot of SNP members closes astatine noon connected Monday, with the effect being announced 2 hours aboriginal by SNP nationalist caput Lorna Finn successful beforehand of an assemblage of astir 300 radical astatine Murrayfield Stadium.

It is the archetypal clip the SNP has had a enactment contention since 2004, with Ms Sturgeon being unopposed erstwhile she replaced Alex Salmond successful 2014.

Whoever wins volition go lone its 5th person since 1979, and volition look the task of uniting a enactment that has dominated Scottish authorities successful caller years but which has looked profoundly divided successful the aftermath of Ms Sturgeon's resignation.

Bookmakers person Mr Yousaf - the wellness caput who is seen arsenic Ms Sturgeon's preferred successor - arsenic the wide favourite to triumph the enactment election, which is being held nether the Single Transferrable Vote system.

Polling adept Prof Sir John Curtice said Ms Forbes, who has been connected maternity permission from her concern caput role, appears to beryllium much fashionable that Mr Yousaf among Scottish voters arsenic a whole.

Meanwhile, Ms Regan is champion known for quitting arsenic a inferior curate implicit the Scottish government's arguable sex designation reforms, and is mostly regarded arsenic being the outsider successful the contest.

But Sir John said determination had been small polling of SNP members during the campaign, and truthful "none of america cognize what is going to happen" - with the result perchance hinging connected who voters enactment arsenic their 2nd prime candidate.

Ms Sturgeon's astonishment announcement that she was resigning came conscionable 3 weeks aft she insisted that she had "plenty successful the tank" and that she inactive believed she would pb Scotland to independence.

Her husband, Peter Murrell, quit arsenic the SNP's main executive midway done the enactment contention aft being forced to admit its rank had fallen from 104,000 to 72,000 since December 2021.

The enactment antecedently ridiculed paper reports that it had mislaid 30,000 members, and had refused to archer the 3 candidates however galore radical would beryllium capable to ballot successful the enactment election.

SNP media main Murray Foote besides resigned implicit the row, with the enactment inactive facing a police probe implicit the usage of £600,000 which was raised by activists who were told it would beryllium ringfenced for a 2nd independency referendum, and questions implicit wherefore Mr Murrell gave the SNP a indebtedness of much than £100,000 successful June 2021.

The enactment and Mr Murrell some contradict they person done thing wrong, with Ms Sturgeon saying she "can't recall" erstwhile she archetypal learned of her husband's six-figure indebtedness and that the "resources that helium lent to the enactment were resources that belonged to him".

Mr Yousaf has denied allegations that the contention was specifically designed by the enactment hierarchy to assistance him win, with some of his rivals questioning the fairness and transparency of the process.

The aboriginal stages of the contention saw Ms Forbes, a subordinate of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland, travel nether occurrence from elder SNP figures including Deputy First Minister John Swinney implicit her blimpish views connected societal issues specified arsenic cheery marriage, abortion, trans rights and having children extracurricular marriage.

Mr Swinney - a staunch state of Ms Sturgeon for decades - is besides to permission the authorities erstwhile her successor is appointed.

Ms Forbes aboriginal deed backmost by slating the competence of Mr Yousaf successful a unrecorded TV debate, portion besides launching thinly-veiled disapproval of Ms Sturgeon erstwhile she said that "more of the same" would beryllium an "acceptance of mediocrity".

The onslaught did small to placate those colleagues who were already pondering whether they could service nether Ms Forbes due to the fact that of her views connected societal issues - with the SNP's lawman person astatine Westminster, Mhairi Black, informing that the enactment could divided if the concern caput wins.

There are is besides uncertainty astir the aboriginal of the SNP's powerfulness sharing agreement astatine Holyrood with the Scottish Greens if either Ms Forbes oregon Ms Regan go archetypal curate due to the fact that of their opposing views connected issues specified arsenic sex self-identification and economical development.

Green co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater said astatine the play that the caller archetypal curate indispensable person "progressive values" if the statement is to continue, and that a committedness to clime justness and trans rights were "non-negotiable".

Much of the absorption of the contention has been connected however the candidates would look to physique enactment for independence, with polls suggesting that it remains broadly wherever it was erstwhile Ms Sturgeon took implicit the enactment enactment aft the referendum successful 2014 - though it has fluctuated implicit that time.

Despite the turmoil that has deed the enactment implicit the past month, Ms Sturgeon has said that she is leaving whoever replaces her with a "brilliant foundation" connected which to build, pointing to her 8 predetermination victories arsenic enactment person and archetypal minister.

She has besides dismissed suggestions from immoderate wrong her enactment - including its interim main enforcement Michael Russell - that the SNP is presently successful "a mess", insisting that it was alternatively simply going done "growing pains" that are "necessary but difficult".

The outgoing archetypal curate carried retired her last authoritative engagement earlier leaving bureau connected Friday, erstwhile she opened a £33m attraction centre for orthopaedic country successful Kirkcaldy.

Ms Sturgeon had been fixed a lasting ovation successful the Scottish Parliament the erstwhile day, erstwhile she said her clip arsenic archetypal curate "truly has been the privilege of my lifetime" and thanked Scots for "placing your spot successful me".

It is not yet known what she volition bash aft leaving bureau - beyond learning to drive and "probably" penning a publication astir her 30 years successful authorities - but fewer expect her to inactive beryllium serving arsenic a backbench MSP erstwhile the adjacent Holyrood predetermination is held successful 2026.

The UK government's Scottish secretary, Alister Jack, has urged whoever replaces Ms Sturgeon to "turn from confrontation to collaboration" successful their narration with Westminster, saying that the "fundamental governmental differences" betwixt them should not halt the 2 governments moving unneurotic to amended people's lives.

Scottish Labour person Anas Sarwar claims that the caller archetypal curate volition person nary mandate to govern and has called for a Holyrood predetermination to beryllium held - pointing to akin demands made by Ms Sturgeon for a wide predetermination during past year's Conservative enactment contest.