Next First Minister of Scotland: who could succeed Nicola Sturgeon after resignation - from Angus Robertson to Kate Forbes

Nicola Sturgeon will stand down as First Minister of Scotland after eight years, it has been confirmed. The First Minister spoke at a press conference from her residence at Bute House in Edinburgh to formally announce her resignation.

So what comes next for the SNP and - more broadly - politics in Scotland? Sturgeon has said she has instructed the national secretary of the SNP to begin the process of electing a new leader, and that she would “remain in office until my successor is elected”.

But who could replace her as party leader, and become the new First Minister? There "isn’t an obvious successor", according to polling expert Prof Sir John Curtice of Strathclyde University, who told the BBC Sturgeon is currently the SNP’s most effective communicator.

Despite the fact that her popularity is at the lowest point it ever has been throughout her leadership, she remains "far and away the most popular leader" in Scotland, he says. In contrast to then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Curtice said Sturgeon was thought to be a very successful communicator during the Covid-19 pandemic, though she has experienced political turbulence recently.

Who could replace Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister?

[Odds provided byOddschecker and correct at time of writing]

There are several possible candidates that could become the new SNP leader, such as current Health and Social Care Secretary, Humza Yousaf (10/1), who was appointed in May 2021 and was the youngest MSP elected to the Scottish Parliament at the age of 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.

Kate Forbes (2/1) is also potentially in the running. She has served as the Secretary for Finance and Economy since 2021. She was elected to Parliament in 2016 and was a convener of the Scottish Parliament’s cross-party group on Gaelic. In 2020, following the resignation of Derek Mackay, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy, she delivered the 2020 Scottish Budget, becoming the first woman to do so.

Another name in the mix is that of Angus Robertson (6/5), the well-liked MSP for Edinburgh Central who boasts a wealth of political experience thanks to his extensive time spent at both Westminster and Holyrood - a handful of bookmakers are already declaring him the favourite to succeed Sturgeon.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney, appointed in the role by Sturgeon upon her becoming First Minister in 2014, was considered a favourite, but he has said he will not be standing to take over Sturgeon as leader of the SNP. Swinney, who has been in the Scottish Parliament since 1999 and served as leader of the party between 2000 and 2004, said he had “thought carefully about whether I should stand and have had to be sure whatever I do is right for my family, the Scottish National Party and our country”.

Likewise, outspoken MP Joanna Cherry has said she will not be standing as leader of the SNP, and said the “messianic leadership model has not worked”. The MP said in her column in The National newspaper the resignation of Sturgeon could be a “turning point”, but only if the party could “honestly appraise where things have gone wrong and radically reset our approach”.

When will the next First Minister be chosen?

Sturgeon has said she had instructed the national secretary of the SNP to begin the process of electing a new leader and that she would “remain in office until my successor is elected”.

She has said the SNP national executive committee should decide who will succeed her as party leader and will establish a timeline for doing so, adding that she won’t be revealing who she thinks would be best for the job.