Scotland seeks Prime Minister
Trio of ministers to seek successor to Sturgeon
02/24/2023, 3:17 p.m
With Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland is losing a driving force behind the country’s drive for independence. The 52-year-old is retiring from her posts. Three candidates with ministerial experience want to follow in their footsteps.
In the race to succeed outgoing Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon, members of their party have three candidates to choose from. According to the party, Finance Minister Kate Forbes, Health Minister Humza Yousaf and ex-Minister Ash Regan all achieved the necessary support in the ranks of the Scottish National Party (SNP) to stand for a membership vote due in March. The nomination period ended on Friday afternoon. Voting starts on March 13th. Two weeks later, on March 27th, the future “First Minister” of Scotland should be known.
Treasury Secretary Kate Forbes is ahead in polls.
(Photo: imago images/PA Images)
Sturgeon surprisingly announced her resignation from all offices a week ago. The 52-year-old is considered a driving force behind supporters of independence from the United Kingdom. As the strongest parliamentary group in the regional parliament, the SNP has the right to the post of “First Minister”, i.e. the regional head of government. So far, 37-year-old Yousaf, a close associate of Sturgeon’s, has been considered the favourite.
In a poll of people who voted for the SNP in 2021, however, Forbes led the way. The 32-year-old was recently under a lot of pressure after admitting that she was against gay marriage for religious reasons and that extramarital pregnancies were “wrong”. The SNP has been pursuing an emphatically liberal course for years.
SNP MP Regan began her campaign by demanding that Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, not overlook the election. There is a conflict of interest, said the 48-year-old. Murrell holds a central party office as the SNP’s chief executive. Regan is considered a rebel because she gave up her seat in the regional government in a dispute over a gender law.