Two women and a man are in the race for top government in Scotland No mercy for Weinstein: another 16 years in prison for ex-film mogul

In the race to succeed outgoing Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon, members of their party have three candidates to choose from. Treasury Secretary Kate Forbes, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf and ex-Secretary Ash Regan According to the party, they have all gained the necessary support in the ranks of the Scottish National Party (SNP) to stand as candidates in a membership vote due to take place in March. The nomination period ended on Friday afternoon.

You can vote from March 13. Two weeks later, the future “first minister” of Scotland should be determined on March 27.

Surprisingly, Sturgeon announced her resignation from all offices a week ago. The 52-year-old is regarded as a driving force behind proponents of independence from the United Kingdom. As the strongest parliamentary group in the regional parliament, the SNP is entitled to the position of “prime minister”, ie the regional head of government.

So far, 37-year-old Yousaf, a close associate of Sturgeon, is considered the favorite. However, in a poll of people who voted for the SNP in 2021, Forbes led the way. The 32-year-old recently came under intense pressure after admitting she was against same-sex marriage for religious reasons and that out-of-wedlock 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. As CEO of the SNP, Murrell holds a central party office. Regan is considered a rebel because she gave up her seat in the regional government in a dispute over a gender bill.

(yam/sda/dpa)