Who is running to be SNP leader? Candidates who have announced bids to replace Nicola Sturgeon so far

Scotland’s Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has become the third candidate to enter the race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the SNP.

Over the weekend, Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and former minister Ash Regan have announced they will also be vying for the top job.

Sturgeon shocked Holyrood on Wednesday (15 February) when she told a hastily arranged press conference she would be quitting. The longest-serving – and first female – First Minister insisted recent political challenges, such as the UK Government’s decision to halt its gender recognition reforms, had not influenced the decision.

She also confirmed that she will remain in office while the SNP selects her successor. “In my head and in my heart I know that time is now. That it’s right for me, for my party and my country,” she said.

Sturgeon, who guided the nation through the coronavirus pandemic and led the SNP to repeated election victories at UK, Scottish and local level, acknowledged the “physical and mental impact” of the role. She said: “Since my very first moments in the job I have believed a part of serving well would be to know almost instinctively when the time is right to make way for someone else.”

But who is standing to replace Nicola Sturgeon? Here is all you need to know:

Who are the candidates to become SNP leader?

Three names have officially thrown their hats in the ring to replace Sturgeon. Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan announced bids on Sunday (19 February), and Kate Forbes confirmed she would be standing on Monday (20 February).

They are the only candidates to officially announce bids so far.

Who is Kate Forbes?

Kate Forbes is a Scottish politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy since 2020. She is a member of the Scottish National Party, and has been an MSP for the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency since 2016.

She is currently on maternity leave after giving birth to her first child last year - but will be cutting this time short to launch her bid for leadership. She had been widely tipped to stand.

In a video on Twitter, the Finance Secretary said: “The choices that we make in the next few weeks will have a profound impact on our future and on our children’s future.” She went on to say the SNP needed someone to “unite” the party - which has recently been split by the controversy over reforms to the gender recognition process – and pledged to “reach out and listen”.

Ms Forbes added: “More than anything we need a leader who is bold, brave and energised, fresh-faced and ready for new challenges. Somebody who inspires your confidence as an SNP member and who inspires the confidence of the people of Scotland to vote for a better future. I am that leader and I want to lead our party into better days with integrity and commitment for the sake of your children and my children.”

She also Ms Forbes insisted she has the “vision, experience and competence to inspire voters across Scotland”.

Who is Humza Yousaf?

He is the current Scottish Health Secretary. He announced the move to the Sunday Mail, saying he had been through a “rollercoaster of emotions” since Nicola Sturgeon announced her resignation

The Glasgow Pollok MSP had been mulling over the possibility of succeeding Sturgeon after her shock announcement this week.Yousaf, who entered Holyrood in 2011 and has been a perennial frontbencher in every SNP administration since, has long been viewed as a potential successor to Sturgeon in Bute House.

But recent years have seen him mired in the controversy surrounding the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill – which faced criticisms over its impact on freedom of expression – and his stewardship of the NHS, which faced the hardest winter in its history in recent months.

Yousaf was the first candidate to declare officially. He said: “You’ve got to put yourself forward if you think you’re the best person for the job. And I do. This is the top job in the country, and it needs somebody who has experience.”

Who is Ash Regan?

Former minister and SNP rebel Ash Regan has announced she will stand to succeed Sturgeon.

Announcing plans in the Sunday Mail, Regan said: “We need to bring back unity, draw a line under certain things and move past them. I believe I am the person to do that. The electorate expect the Scottish Government to focus on things that are important to them.

“That means the NHS which is still struggling to get back on its feet after the pandemic. People expect a First Minister to concentrate on boosting the economy, creating jobs and helping them deal with the cost-of-living crisis.”

The former community safety minister quit her post in protest against the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill and has since become an outspoken critic of the legislation. The Edinburgh Eastern MSP becomes the second to announce she will stand to succeed the First Minister, with other high profile figures mulling a tilt at the leadership.

In the Sunday Mail, Regan said: “We need to bring back unity, draw a line under certain things and move past them. I believe I am the person to do that. The electorate expect the Scottish Government to focus on things that are important to them.

“That means the NHS which is still struggling to get back on its feet after the pandemic. People expect a First Minister to concentrate on boosting the economy, creating jobs and helping them deal with the cost-of-living crisis.”

Regan, in previous days, has also called for the party to allow MPs to run in Holyrood elections without having to give up their seat in veiled support for fellow SNP critic Joanna Cherry, who was blocked from a move to the Scottish Parliament by SNP rules.

Who has ruled themselves out?

Deputy First Minister John Swinney and Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s Westminster leader have both said they will not run to replace Sturgeon. Angus Robertson has also ruled himself out - saying that having two very young children meant it was “not right for me and my family to take on such a huge commitment”.

What are the deadlines for candidates?

Candidates have until Friday (24 February) to receive more than the threshold of 100 nominations from at least 20 local branches. If more than one candidate passes that mark, an election will be triggered, culminating on March 27.