Scottish National Party decides on Sturgeon’s successor

The most promising candidates are Treasury Secretary Kate Forbes (32) and Health Secretary Humza Yousaf (37). The third candidate, Ash Regan (49), a former cabinet member, is regarded as an outsider. The more than 72,000 members of the governing Scottish National Party (SNP) can vote until 1 pm CEST. After that, the decision will be announced.

Surprisingly, on February 15, Sturgeon announced her resignation as “prime minister” and party leader of the SNP. The 52-year-old was the first woman to hold the highest government position in the most northerly part of Britain and is regarded as a driving force behind the United Kingdom’s independence. Scotland has a population of about 5.5 million – one tenth of the population of England.

With Sturgeon’s retirement comes the question of the future of the independence movement. All candidates have announced that they will go through with a divorce. However, the way forward is unclear: according to a ruling by Britain’s highest court, a new referendum is only possible with the consent of the central government in London – which firmly rejects such a move. In polls, support for independence fell after Sturgeon’s retirement.

The new party leader will also become ‘first minister’ in the Edinburgh regional parliament on Tuesday. In addition to the issue of independence, the new leadership will face other difficult issues.

Prime Minister Sturgeon has created tensions in the party and society with a liberal gender law. It is intended that the obligation for a medical report as a condition for a change of gender entry no longer applies. The minimum age for an application has been lowered from 18 to 16 years. Transgender people are people who do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth.

The British government is blocking the plan, which is also opposed by some in the SNP. Yousaf is the only candidate who has pledged to take legal action against the London veto. Now trouble looms with the Greens, who demand compliance with the project and want the conflict with London to escalate. In the 2021 regional elections, the SNP narrowly missed out on an absolute majority. She then entered into a partnership with the Greens.

Despite their government positions, both Forbes and Yousaf are considered relatively inexperienced. Top politicians such as Sturgeon’s Vice-President John Swinney or former SNP leader of the British Parliament, Angus Robertson, had not run for office. (sda/dpa)