Angus Robertson is the favourite to replace Nicola Sturgeon after she announced her resignation as Scotland’s First Minister.
After eight years as Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon has stepped down, citing “the brutality of politics taking its toll” as the reason. Sturgeon was the first woman to hold the position of either first minister or leader of the SNP when taking over from Alex Salmond in 2014.
Her time in office has been defined by her efforts to gain Scottish independence and the feat of the SNP becoming the third largest party in Britain after the 2015 general election. In 2022, she became the longest serving First Minister for Scotland and leaves her successor the difficult task of fighting for a majority once again.
Who are her likely successors?
Angus Robertson, the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the former Deputy Leader of the SNP is the early frontrunner to be Sturgeon’s successor. He can be found at a best price of 6/5 to take the reins of First Minister.
Elsewhere, Kate Forbes (2/1) is his closest competitor. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy is of a new breed in Scottish politics, at only 32 years old she has been an MP since 2016.
John Swinney (8/1), the Deputy First Minister of Scotland is low on this list considering his role in government. He was previously leader of the SNP between 2000 and 2004.
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The only real other candidates, according to the bookies, are Humza Yousaf (10/1) and Keith Brown (10/1). Yousaf is currently serving as the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and is the first non-white and first Muslim cabinet minister in the Scottish Government.
Keith Brown is the deputy leader of the SNP and can be seen as the likely successor to Nicola Surgeon by many. However, with a wave of young politicians coming through the ranks, the market is currently favouring more youthful candidates.
