Scotland: Vote closed on Sturgeon’s successor

In Scotland, the party vote on the successor to former Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon has ended. This should immediately determine who will rule the northernmost part of Britain in the future. The staff are considered pioneering in the fight for Scotland’s quest for independence.

Members of the ruling Scottish National Party (SNP) could choose between Health Minister Humza Yousaf (37), Finance Minister Kate Forbes (32) and former Secretary of State Ash Regan (49) until Monday at 12:00 Scottish time (13:00 CEST). .

All three want to further the stated goal of the SNP, Bring Scotland out of the UK and back into the European Union as an independent state. The result of the vote, which is also regarded as a guiding dispute in the party, will be announced in Edinburgh from 3pm CEST.

The two favourites, Forbes and Yousaf, represent different camps in the party. While Yousaf follows Sturgeon’s line with a progressive agenda, Forbes has much more conservative views. Among other things, she is a staunch member of the Calvinist Scottish Free Church (Free Church of Scotland). If she wins the race, the Greens may want to end their partnership with the SNP in government. The Greens said they did not want to continue the cooperation at any price.

In mid-February, Sturgeon surprisingly 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.

(sda/dpa)