This evening the SNP’s executive committee will meet to decide the rules of the leadership contest following Nicola Sturgeon’s decision to resign both as party leader and First Minister of Scotland.

In a sign of how the news has come as a surprise to many even in her own party, there is no heir apparent. Speaking this morning on the Today programme, the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn declined to say who he might like to take over – instead pointing to the fact he had ‘not seen anyone throw their name in the ring yet’.

In a sign of how surprising the news was, there is no heir apparent

As I say in this week’s cover piece for the magazine, there are plenty of SNP politicians who have asked themselves what they would do if the ball came loose from the scrum. While no candidate is yet to declare, the bookies’ favourites include Angus Robertson – the SNP MSP who previously served in parliament as the party’s Westminster leader – and Kate Forbes, the 32-year-old Gaelic-speaking Cambridge-educated finance minister. There’s also Sturgeon’s deputy John Swinney, who of all the potential candidates has the most experience having served as SNP leader between 2000 and 2004. However, it’s not clear yet that Swinney would like to return to the fold.

As for lesser known names, much will depend on the rules decided this evening on the length and thresholds for any candidates as to how easy it will be for others to enter the fray.

The SNP, as a party, tends to rally behind a candidate pretty quickly. Sturgeon’s candidacy was uncontested in 2014. The last leadership contest was in 2004 but even then there was a clear favourite – with Alex Salmond winning more than 75 per cent of votes. It means if precedent is anything to go by there is a chance the likely successor to Sturgeon becomes clear in a matter of days.

QOSHE - Who will succeed Nicola Sturgeon? - Katy Balls
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Who will succeed Nicola Sturgeon?

4 15
16.02.2023

This evening the SNP’s executive committee will meet to decide the rules of the leadership contest following Nicola Sturgeon’s decision to resign both as party leader and First Minister of Scotland.

In a sign of how the news has come as a surprise to many even in her own party, there is no heir apparent. Speaking this morning on the Today programme, the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn declined to say who he might like to take over – instead........

© The Spectator


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