SNP Leadership Campaign Runners & Riders Guide

On the 14th of February, Nicola Sturgeon upended politics, not just in Scotland, but across the UK when she announced her resignation after eight years as First Minister and the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP).

Surgeon had led Scotland since taking over from Alex Salmond following the 2014 Independence referendum. However, this transition of power had almost been coronation rather than a contest, after Sturgeon was hand selected by Salmond as his successor. This means that the SNP haven’t faced a proper leadership election since 2004.

Given this unlikely scenario, particularly when compared to the state of the other UK parties, this should ensure an intriguing and feisty contest, and with only the first furlong down, that’s certainly what we’ve got. So far, we’ve already lost two political big beasts in Angus Robertson and John Swinney, with both ruling themselves out of the contest early.

With only two and half weeks to go before SNP members get their chance to vote for their new leader, it’s certainly worth looking at the remaining runners and riders.

Humza Yousaf [The Favourite]

Humza Yousaf is the MSP for Glasgow Pollok and since 2021, he has been Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. Before this, he’s held a myriad of roles, from Cabinet Secretary for Justice to junior ministerial roles in departments, including External Affairs and International Development, Europe and International Development and Transport and the Islands.

First elected at the age of 26 in May 2011 as an additional member for the Glasgow region, Humza Yousaf was the youngest MSP to be elected to the Scottish Parliament. He is also the first non-white and first Muslim cabinet minister in the Scottish Government.

On independence, he’s said that he will focus on the policies of independence, not the process, rowing back from Nicola Sturgeon’s plan to make the next general election a de facto referendum. A plan which had received widespread criticism on its inception.

Elsewhere, in opposition to his fellow leadership contenders, Humza Yousaf has positioned himself as a conciliatory figure, noting the concerns of his two leadership counterparts, but promising to stand by Scottish Government’s gender reform legislation and challenge the UK government's order blocking the bill.

Nevertheless, he has faced challenges during his short time as Health Secretary, facing criticism for an NHS under immense strain, long waiting times and for urging the public to “think twice” before calling 999 in September 2021. Nevertheless, Mr Yousaf has escaped intense scrutiny so far, with the current media spotlight centred on fellow leadership contender, Kate Forbes.

Built Environment Backgrounder: Given the roles Mr Yousaf has held in government, his focus on the built environment has been minimal. Nevertheless, his personal website has an FAQs section, with a dedicated FAQ on housing. Here he’s outlined his support for housing developments around his constituency, the tenement stock and historic buildings more broadly.

In addition, Mr Yousaf’s wife, Nadia El-Nakla, was employed as a senior case worker for the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government, Shona Robinson, until being elected as a West End councillor last year.

Kate Forbes [Young Upstart]

Raised in India and Scotland, educated at Cambridge and Edinburgh, a Chartered Accountant, and a fluent Gaelic speaker; Kate Forbes is a talented individual who has forged an impressive political career since entering parliament in 2016 as the representative for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch.

Forbes announced her candidacy at the weekend, proclaiming that she had the “vision, experience and competence to inspire voters across Scotland” and that she was a “unifier”. This last point, however, has proved contentious given her active membership of the Free Church of Scotland (FCS) and some of her socially conservative views, putting her at odds with the mainstream of the SNP. This has affected Forbes’ leadership campaign already with many SNP MSPs coming out to reject her leadership bid, including Tom Arthur who reversed his support following her comments on same sex marriage in an interview with Channel 4.

Nevertheless, Ms Forbes has built herself a formidable reputation in government, forged during her time as Deputy Finance Secretary (2018 – 2020) and then as Cabinet Secretary for Finance, during the pandemic, with Treasury officials remarking that she is a fair-minded and sharp interlocutor who is able to “get negotiations to yes”. In addition, some of her views, like those on gender reform, suggest that she aligns more closely with the SNP membership than her counterpart, Humza Yousaf.

For a prospective party leader, separating personal conservative religious positions from the government’s agenda can prove difficult – especially as leader of a party considered towards the progressive end of the political spectrum. These challenges are ones the former Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron can attest to all too readily, and the challenge may prove insurmountable for Kate Forbes as well.

Built Environment Backgrounder: In her role as Cabinet Secretary for finance and the economy, Forbes is seen as practical and pragmatic and was keen to do a deal with the UK government on free ports, yet she is also prudent when it comes to the taxpayer’s pound.

As the MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, she has also spoken positively of the Rural and Islands Housing Fund, stating that it is “critical so the extension of the Rural and Islands Housing Fund is great news.” Although her backing for a proposal for housing developments where residents must speak Gaelic or commit to learning it, may not be so welcome.

Ash Regan [The Dark Horse]

Ash Regan has been the MSP for Edinburgh Eastern since 2016, having dramatically defeated Kezia Dugdale, who was Scottish Labour leader at the time. Raised in Scotland and England, she was educated at Keele University, the London School of Public Relations and the Open University.

Like Kate Forbes, Regan has been critical of the Scottish Government’s gender reform agenda and stepped down as Minister for Community Safety (2018 – 2022) in protest over the Gender Recognition Act. This high-profile act has been a prominent part of Regan’s leadership pitch, and she has already gained the support of notable SNP figure, Joanna Cherry KC, who has said of Regan, that she has shown “courage” and “leadership” in standing against the gender reforms.

Her first foray into politics came during her role as the head of campaigns and advocacy at the Common Weal – a pro-independence think-tank. On Independence, she aims to unite the wider independence movement, creating a “convention” of all pro-independence groups.

Given Yousaf’s current lead and Regan’s similar campaigning position to Kate Forbes, it may prove difficult to distinguish herself in a tight race. Although there is always the chance that she comes through the middle at the expense of the two battling frontrunners.

Built Environment Backgrounder: During her political career, Ms Regan hasn’t focused extensively on the built environment. Nevertheless, as a member of Holyrood’s net zero, energy and transport committee, Regan has given mixed signals on her support for Net Zero, stating that it is “a moral duty to future generations to tackle climate change now”, but later tweeting that she would “not support an accelerated net zero path which sees us turn off the North Sea taps, throw 10s of 1000s of oil workers out of jobs, hollow out NE & H&I communities”.