SNP leadership latest – Humza Yousaf far ahead on MP and MSP endorsements – Politics.co.uk

Nominations for the SNP leadership race closed on 24 February 2023 with three candidates set to be put to the membership.

Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf, finance secretary Kate Forbes and former community safety minister Ash Regan all secured places on the ballot paper to replace Nicola Sturgeon, having successfully reached the minimum of 100 nominations from at least 20 local party branches to advance.

After a period of campaigning, the SNP party membership will be asked to vote using the single transferable vote (STV) system, with a winner announced on March 27. The membership ballot will run from March 13 to the close date of the 27th.

The race is still wide open with a recent poll indicating that 32 per cent of SNP members are yet to decide on a preferred candidate. A Savanta poll for The Telegraph put Yousaf in the lead, but with only 31 per cent, ahead of Forbes on 25 per cent and outsider Regan on 11 per cent.

There will now be a renewed push from every candidate to secure the backing of key SNP MSPs and MPs, as they look to sure up their support within the party ahead of March 27. Politics.co.uk has broken down the key backers of each candidate at this early stage in the race

The standing of MP and MSP endorsements as of 6 March 2023 is:

Humza Yousaf – 13 MPs & 23 MSPs

Kate Forbes – 2 MPs & 10 MSPs

Ash Regan – 1 MP & 0 MSPs

Yet to declare for any candidate – 28 MPs & 26 MSPs

Latest development: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, endorses Kate Forbes.

Return to this page for updates as the race plays out.

Humza Yousaf 

Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf has emerged as the SNP “continuity candidate” in the race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon. 

Among his high-profile supporters are former SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford and current deputy leader Mhairi Black.

Announcing his support over the weekend, Blackford tweeted: “As a nation, we require a first minister who will ensure that we deliver in government and lead us forward to guarantee Scotland’s voice is heard in an independence referendum. … Humza is that leader”.

Humza Yousaf has served as the cabinet secretary for health and social care at Holyrood since May 2021.  

Similarly, deputy Westminster leader Black said that Yousaf was the only candidate willing “stand up for our Scottish Parliament’s democratic right to legislate free from Westminster interference”. 

Black was a referring to Yousaf’s commitment to challenge the UK government over its veto of Holyrood’s controversial gender recognition reforms. Both Forbes and Regan have been critical of the gender reform legislation passed by Holyrood, with Regan quitting her post in the Scottish government in order to vote against it.

Among the other MPs backing Yousaf are the SNP’s Westminster home affairs spokesperson Alison Thewliss, justice spokesperson Anne McLaughlin and levelling up spokesperson Chris Stephens.

Yousaf also counts on the support of MPs Chris Law, Amy Callaghan, Stewart Hosie, Stuart MacDonald, Anne McLaughlin, Anum Qaisar, Tommy Sheppard, Owen Thompson and Pete Wishart. 

Key MSP backers include environment minister Màiri McAllan, who was considering a run for the top job herself, as well as Neil Gray, another individual touted by some as a potential leadership candidate. 

Other prominent backers at Holyrood are Scottish social justice secretary Shona Robison, who navigated the controversial gender reform recognition bill through parliament; education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville; and Michael Matheson, who serves as secretary for net zero, energy and transport. 

Full list of backers:

13 MPs

  • Mhairi Black, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South 
  • Ian Blackford, MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber
  • Amy Callaghan, MP for East Dunbartonshire
  • Stewart Hosie, MP for Dundee East
  • Chris Law, MP for Dundee West
  • Stuart McDonald, MP for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East
  • Anne McLaughlin, MP for Glasgow North East
  • Anum Qaisar, MP for Airdrie and Shotts
  • Tommy Sheppard, MP for Edinburgh East
  • Chris Stephens, MP for Glasgow South West
  • Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central
  • Owen Thompson, MP for Midlothian
  • Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and North Perthshire

23 MSPs

  • Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire & Buchan Coast
  • Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar
  • Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South
  • James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart
  • Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside
  • Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West
  • Jenny Gilruth, MSP for Mid Fife and Glenrothes
  • Neil Gray, MSP for Airdrie and Shotts
  • Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland
  • Jamie Hepburn, MSP for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
  • Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West
  • Màiri McAllan, MSP for Clydesdale
  • Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian
  • Marie McNair, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie
  • Jenni Minto, MSP for Argyll and Bute
  • Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East
  • Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands
  • Shirley-Anne Somerville, MSP for Dunfermline
  • Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central
  • Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin
  • Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride
  • Maree Todd, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross
  • Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley
Kate Forbes

Kate Forbes has enjoyed a troubled start to her leadership bid, coming under for her comments on abortion and same-sex marriage. The finance secretary is a member of the Free Church of Scotland, which follows a strict interpretation of the Bible.

As a result of her position on such social issues, the finance secretary lost a number of key backers. These include MSPs Gillian Martin, Richard Lochhead, Tom Arthur, Clare Haughey and MP Drew Hendry, 

Announcing that she was withdrawing her support for Forbes, Gillian Martin tweeted: “We must be full throated in our support of equal marriage. No if or buts. I won’t be supporting Kate’s campaign on that basis. I wish her well – she’s extremely talented. But I have red lines. And this is one”.

Serving as finance secretary at Holyrood since February 2020, Kate Forbes has come under fire for her comments on abortion and same-sex marriage. 

However, Forbes has also retained the support of key elected officials. Among these include: gender reform rebels Michelle Thomson, Ruth Maguire, Annabelle Ewing and Jim Fairlie, as well as other MSPs David Torrance, Siobhan Brown and Ivan McKee, who works under Forbes at Holyrood as business minister

UK parliamentarians Douglas Chapman and Angus MacNeil also continue to support Forbes. 

Alex Neil, a former SNP MSP who served as health secretary for two years in Alex Salmond’s government, is another backer of Forbes’ candidacy. Neil has been a prominent critic of Nicola Sturgeon and has emerged as a thorn in the side of Forbes’ chief rival Yousaf. The former health secretary said he remembers Yousaf asking to be allowed to skip Holyrood’s vote on same-sex marriage in 2014 because of pressure from religious leaders opposed the reform.

Mr Neil, who led the equal marriage legislation through Holyrood, told The Herald: “The truth is he asked to be ‘skipped’ because he was under pressure and he then arranged a ministerial meeting, and that was his cover for not voting, and if he says anything different it’s not true”.

Full list of backers:

2 MPs

  • Douglas Chapman, MP for Dunfermline and West Fife
  • Angus MacNeil, MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar

10 MSPs

  • Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh
  • Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr
  • Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath
  • Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn
  • Jim Fairlie, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire
  • Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale
  • Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South
  • Ivan McKee, MSP for Glasgow Provan
  • Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East
  • David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy
Ash Regan 

Ash Regan is an outsider candidate to replace Nicola Sturgeon, with the former communities minister lagging behind in the polls and with relatively few declared backers. 

Regan’s most prominent backer is Joanna Cherry MP, the chair of the joint committee on human rights at Westminster. She was the SNP’s justice spokesperson before being sacked from the front bench for her outspoken opposition to gender recognition reforms.

Announcing her support, Cherry said: “I’m proud to support Ash given her solid left wing credentials … and the courage and leadership she has shown in standing up for the rights of women and girls”.

Full list of backers:

1 MP

  • Joanna Cherry, MP for Edinburgh South West

0 MSPs

Yet to declare their support

Among the prominent SNP officials yet to declare their support are Keith Brown, depute leader of the SNP; Stephen Flynn, SNP leader at Westminster; Angus Robertson, secretary for the constitution at Holyrood; and John Swinney, deputy first minister of Scotland and former leader of the SNP from 2000-2004 

Current first minister Nicola Sturgeon has also refused to declare her support for any of the candidates vying to replace her. 

Full list of those yet to declare:

28 MPs

  • Hannah Bardell, MP for Livingston
  • Kirsty Blackman, MP for Aberdeen North
  • Steven Bonnar, MP for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill
  • Deidre Brock, MP for Edinburgh North and Leith
  • Alan Brown, MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun
  • Dr Lisa Cameron, MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
  • Ronnie Cowan, MP for Inverclyde
  • Angela Crawley, MP for Lanark and Hamilton East
  • Martyn Day, MP for Linlithgow and East Falkirk
  • Martin Docherty-Hughes, MP for West Dunbartonshire
  • Dave Doogan, MP for Angus
  • Allan Dorans, MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock
  • Marion Fellows, MP for Dunfermline West
  • Stephen Flynn, MP for Aberdeen South
  • Patricia Gibson, MP for North Ayrshire and Arran
  • Patrick Grady, MP for Glasgow North
  • Peter Grant, MP for Glenrothes
  • Drew Hendry, MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey – [WITHDREW SUPPORT FROM FORBES]
  • David Linden, MP for Glasgow East
  • Stewart McDonald, MP for Glasgow South
  • John McNally, MP for Falkirk
  • Carol Monaghan, MP for Glasgow North West
  • Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North
  • John Nicolson, MP for Ochil and South Perthshire
  • Brendan O’Hara, MP for Argyll and Bute
  • Alyn Smith, MP for Stirling
  • Richard Thomson, MP for Gordon
  • Dr Phillips Whitford, MP for Central Ayrshire

26 MSPs

  • George Adam, MSP for Paisley
  • Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South – [WITHDREW SUPPORT FROM FORBES]
  • Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane – (Declined to stand himself)
  • Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill
  • Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley
  • Angela Constance, MSP for Almond Valley
  • Natalie Don, MSP for Renfrewshire North and West – (Retweeted Mhairi Black’s thread on Forbes and LBTQ+ rights)
  • Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn
  • Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North
  • Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North and Mearns
  • Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow
  • Bill Kidd, Glasgow MSP for Anniesland
  • Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray – [WITHDREW SUPPORT FROM FORBES]
  • Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands
  • Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston
  • Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East – [WITHDREW SUPPORT FROM FORBES]
  • Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden – (Retweeted anti-Regan tweets)
  • Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith – (Declined to stand himself)
  • John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston
  • Christina McKelvie, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse – (Retweeted Yousaf’s Sky News interview discussing comments by US Senator Bernie Sanders)
  • Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde
  • Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine
  • Angus Robertson, MSP for Edinburgh Central – (Declined to stand himself)
  • Nicola Sturgeon, MSP for Glasgow Southside
  • John Swinney, MSP for Perthshire North – (Declined to stand himself)
  • Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling – (Retweeted Yousaf’s Sky News interview discussing comments by US Senator Bernie Sanders)



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