Humza Yousaf is the big favourite to be confirmed as the next SNP leader as part of an announcement in Edinburgh at 14:00 today.
When will the next SNP leader be announced?
The winner of the SNP leadership contest, which will be announced by SNP national secretary Lorna Finn in front of 300 people at Murrayfield Stadium, will face a vote at Holyrood on Tuesday before also being confirmed as Scotland's new first minister.
After eight years as Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon stepped down last month, citing “the brutality of politics taking its toll” as the reason.
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Sturgeon had become the first woman to hold the position of either first minister or SNP leader when taking over from Alex Salmond in 2014.
It is the first time the SNP has had a leadership contest since 2004, with Sturgeon being unopposed when she replaced Salmond in 2014.
Who is the favourite to replace Nicola Sturgeon?
The big favourite is Humza Yousaf (best price 2/9 to replace Sturgeon), who 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. He had previously served as the Cabinet Secretary for Justice between 2018 and 2021.
And who are the other contenders?
According to the bookmakers, the only realistic rival to Yousaf at this late stage is Kate Forbes (3/1). The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy represents a new breed in Scottish politics at only 32 years old. She has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency since 2016.
Ash Regan, meanwhile, is the 33/1 outsider in the next SNP leader race. The 49-year-old is best known for quitting as a junior minister over the government's controversial gender recognition reforms. She has been the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Eastern since 2016.
