Nicola Sturgeon shocked everyone when she announced on Wednesday she was stepping down as First Minister. So who will step into her shoes?
Although Ms Sturgeon was the natural successor when Alex Salmond bowed out more than eight years ago, there is no obvious single candidate to take over from her. Deputy First Minister John Swinney has ruled himself out, but there are many others whose names have been mentioned in connection with the biggest job in the country.
It falls to SNP members to make the choice. They will pick a new leader for the party and that leader will then be endorsed by the Scottish Parliament as First Minister. Nominations for the leadership have already opened and those considering throwing their hats in the ring have until next Friday (24 February) to do so. The postal ballot of members will open on 13 March and close at noon on 27 March.
Edinburgh Central MSP Angus Robertson is the early favourite in the contest, but if Finance Secretary Kate Forbes decides to stand she will also be a frontrunner to succeed Ms Sturgeon. And after Edinburgh South West MP Joanna Cherry ruled herself out – she could not become First Minister as an MP – there is speculation that Edinburgh Eastern MSP Ash Regan could stand as the candidate of those unhappy about the gender reform agenda.
Here’s the run-down on some of the potential contenders with the odds from Betfair.
. Angus Robertson - Evens
Edinburgh Central MSP Angus Robertson, 53, was leader of the SNP's Westminster group for ten years before losing his Commons seat in 2017 after 16 years as MP for Moray. He was also one of the masterminds behind the SNP's first Holyrood election victory in 2007 and then in 2011 when the party won an overall majority. After being elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2021 he was appointed straight into the Cabinet as Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture. Brought up in Edinburgh, he worked for the BBC World Service before going into politics. And while at Westminster he was the party's long-serving spokesman on defence and foreign affairs. He is the most experienced candidate in the race and seen as one of the obvious frontrunners. Photo: Lesley Martin/PA
5. Ash Regan - 20/1
Edinburgh Eastern MSP Ash Regan, 48, resigned from the Scottish Government last year over gender reform and could now become the candidate of the feminists opposed to transgender self-identification. She became involved in politics in the run-up to the 2014 independence referendum and worked for Common Weal Scotland before being elected to Holyrood in 2016. She was made Community Safety Minister in 2018 and reappointed to the post after the 2021 election. But she resigned in October 2022 in protest at the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, saying she could not vote for a Bill where she "could not be 100 per cent certain that women and girls would not be in danger". If she stands, Ms Regan's candidacy will ensure this controversial issue is part of the debate during the contest. as Community Safety Minister Photo: Lisa Ferguson
6. Neil Gray
Rising star Neil Gray, 36, worked for veteran MSP Alex Neil before being elected to Westminster as MP for AIrdrie and Shotts from 2015 until 2021, when he switched to Holyrood as MSP for the same constituency. In January 2022. he was appointed Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, a junior post, but found himself with a big role - in charge of the resettlement of thousands of Ukrainian refugees who came to Scotland in the wake of Russia's invasion. Photo: Lisa Ferguson
7. Mairi McAllan
Mairi McAllan, 30, has only been an MSP since 2021, but she knows a lot about how the Scottish Government works, having previously served as a special adviser to Nicola Sturgeon. Brought up in Biggar, she is MSP for Clydesdale and was appointed Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform as soon as she got elected to Holyrood. She is a lawyer and seen as a rising star in the party. Photo: Lisa Ferguson
8. Mhairi Black - 20/1
Nationalist firebrand Mhairi Black, 28, was just 20 when she was elected MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South and is now deputy leader of the SNP group at Westminster. Her maiden speech was a fierce attack on the UK Government over unemployment and the growing need for food banks, which was viewed 10 million times on social media over the following five days. And she has remained outspoken in her denunciation of the Tories and their policies. But as an MP rather than an MSP, she could not succeed Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister without winning a seat at Holyrood. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell