Two candidates announce bids to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader
Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and former minister Ash Regan are the first two to throw their hats in the ring to replace Nicola Sturgeon.
Mr Yousaf has been a perennial frontbencher in every SNP administration since 2011 and has long been viewed as a potential successor.
But the Sturgeon ally has recently faced controversy over his stewardship of the NHS and the Hate Crime Bill.
Meanwhile, former Community Safety Minister Ms Regan has clashed with Ms Sturgeon in the past year.
She recently quit her position in protest of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which would make it easier for transgender people to change their sex on official documents.
Other potential candidates for SNP leadership are tipped to be Finance Minister Kate Forbes, Deputy Leader Keith Brown and Environment Minister Mairi McAllan.
The winner of the race is due to be announced on 27 March.
Mr Yousaf said he had been through a ‘rollercoaster of emotions’ after Scotland’s first minister’s shock announcement that she would soon be departing.
Announcing his bid in the Sunday Mail, 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.’
Despite his success in politics, Mr Yousaf has been accused of ignoring concerns about a lack of protection for free speech in the Hate Crime Bill.
He has also met criticism over his handling of the NHS, which has faced one of the hardest winters in its history.
Ms Regan has been the Member of Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Eastern since 2016, and served as Minister for Community Safety for four years.
She said a line ‘needs to be drawn under certain things’ in her leadership bid announcement after becoming an outspoken critic of Ms Sturgeon’s gender reforms last year.
Also writing in the Sunday Mail, Ms 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.’
This week, Ms Regan has called for SNP members who left in the past year to be given a vote in the leadership race – a move described as ‘preposterous’ by Deputy First Minister John Swinney.
Culture secretary Angus Robertson has yet to confirm if he will make a bid for the leadership – but bookies have reported him as one of the early favorites for the job.
Succession actor Brian Cox has announced his support for Mr Robertson, saying he would ‘make a great leader’.
He said on BBC’s Newscast: ‘I have a lot of respect for Angus Robertson. He’s the Culture Secretary at the moment, but has a scope which is quite interesting.
‘He’s a very strong European and has lots of connections because his mother was German. So there’s a very strong European connection for Angus. But he also has a total grasp of the situation, so I think he would make a strong leader.’
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