Race to replace Sturgeon as leader under way with SNP ruling committee set to meet to work out succession timetable
The race to replace Nicola Sturgeon as Scotland’s first minister is now under way – with the party meeting to set out the succession timetable later.
Sky News’ political correspondent Joe Pike understands the meeting will take place over Zoom at 6.30pm tonight.
Ms Sturgeon announced her resignation during a press conference in Edinburgh at her official residence, Bute House, on Wednesday.
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The 52-year-old said it had been “the very best job in the world” but that she believed part of “serving well would be to know almost instinctively when the time is right” to step down.
The longest serving and first woman first minister confirmed she would stay in post until somebody else takes over and remain as an MSP until at least the next Holyrood election.
The attention now turns to who will become Ms Sturgeon’s successor as leader of the SNP, which she has been at the helm of since 2014.
The SNP’s National Executive Committee will be meeting later today to work out a timetable for the leadership race.
In her resignation speech, Ms Sturgeon said her party has an “array of talent” ready to follow her.
Early possible contenders to become her successor include current deputy leader of the SNP Keith Brown, the SNP’s finance and economy secretary Kate Forbes, the party’s current constitution, culture and external affairs secretary Angus Robertson, the SNP’s health secretary Humza Yousaf and Scotland’s current deputy first minister John Swinney.
When will the SNP get a new leader?
The time for the SNP’s national executive committee meeting is 6.30pm.
After it, we should get some sort of statement or press release giving details of the terms or timetable of the leadership contest.
It does seem though that the start of this contest will be slow as Holyrood is on recess – no-one is actually here because it is half-term.
And I understand one potential contender isn’t even in the country as they are abroad on holiday.
Perhaps they will be hot-footing it back to the UK, as of course Boris Johnson after Liz Truss’ exit from Number 10.
The expectation is the contest will take six weeks, but the last contested leadership contest – which was almost 20 years ago in 2004 – took two-and-a-half months.
So, it may not be until April, possibly early May, when we get a new leader of the SNP and new first minister.
The SNP’s newly elected Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, who replaced Ian Blackford following his resignation in December, ruled himself out of the contest when speaking to Sky News.
As an MP and not a member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), Mr Flynn could currently only replace Ms Sturgeon as SNP leader – and not as Scotland’s first minister.
He told Kay Burley on Thursday: “I’ll indeed not be standing. Of course the next leader of the Scottish National Party needs to have the ability to be first minister – no MP has the ability to be first minister for obvious reasons that we are located in London and not Edinburgh.”
There is precedent for an MP to lead a Scottish party after Douglas Ross took over as head of the Scottish Tories in 2020.
Mr Ross’s predecessor, Ruth Davidson, deputised for him at First Minister’s Questions before he was able to take a seat in the Scottish Parliament himself at the 2021 election.
But Mr Flynn was not tempted to enter the race. Asked who he would be backing in the contest, he kept his cards close to his chest.
Stephen Flynn MP
“In terms of who I’m backing, I’ve not seen anyone throw their name into the ring yet,” he said.
“Once names start going into that ring I’ll have conversations with my colleagues, see what their policy priorities are in terms of the immediate challenges that we face, how they intend to overcome some of the issues in relation to the economy, in relation to the health service, in relation to the cost of living crisis, and indeed our energy future, and of course how they set out their pathway to an independent future.
“I’m looking forward to that positive discussion once my colleagues decide whether they want to put themselves forward or not.”
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But the Westminster leader did say an SNP conference, set to take place next month about the party’s approach to fighting for independence going forward, should be delayed.
“I think the new leader should have the opportunity and indeed the space to set out their position, their values and their intentions going forward,” he said.
“I think it’s sensible that we do hit the pause button on that conference and allow the new leader the opportunity to set out their vision.”
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A look back at Nicola Sturgeon’s career
Time for ‘healing’
Although the SNP continued to lead the polls in Scotland, Ms Sturgeon’s resignation followed a series of political challenges in recent months.
Her government has sought to push through gender reforms, only for them to be blocked by Westminster.
But she insisted the row surrounding a transgender double rapist being sent to a women’s jail “wasn’t the final straw” at her resignation press conference.
SNP MP Joanna Cherry, a long-standing critic of the gender recognition reforms, called for “reform and healing” in her party, and asked for it to react to the resignation of Ms Sturgeon in “a way that is beneficial to the country and the cause of independence”.
She also called for a “neutral caretaker CEO” to take over from Ms Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell.
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Rishi Sunak put aside his political differences with Ms Sturgeon to thank her for her service following the news of her departure.
One of his ministers, Neil O’Brien, told Sky News, however, that her departure offered the Tories “an opportunity… to do better in Scotland”, adding: “I think it is apparent to people in Scotland now that the SNP are a bit played out in public services. Things are not working.”
Labour’s shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, also paid tribute to the departing first minister, but told Kay Burley: “It’s an opportunity for the people of Scotland to come together, rather than some of the division that we’ve seen, and also for the focus to be on issues like the cost of living crisis, the issues in the National Health Service.
“Those are the issues that Scottish Labour are going to be focusing on.“
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Rishi Sunak thanks Nicola Sturgeon
But further afield, a former US president said “good riddance” in reaction to her resignation.
Donald Trump said in a statement: “Good riddance to failed woke extremist Nicola Sturgeon of Scotland!
“This crazed leftist symbolizes everything wrong with identity politics.
“Sturgeon thought it was okay to put a biological man in a women’s prison, and if that wasn’t bad enough, Sturgeon fought for a ‘Gender Recognition Reform Bill’ that would have allowed 16-year-old children to change their gender without medical advice.
“I built the greatest golf properties in the world in Scotland, but she fought me all the way, making my job much more difficult.
“The wonderful people of Scotland are much better off without Sturgeon in office!”
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Meanwhile, tennis star Sir Andy Murray posted a tweet saying: “Interesting vacancy. Was looking to get into politics when I finish playing.”
Alongside both a winking and a laughing emoji, Ms Sturgeon jokingly replied: “I know I said I wouldn’t endorse anyone as my successor, but….”
World
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South Korea’s parliament has voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo.
The move could deepen a constitutional crisis triggered by a short-lived period of martial law declared by Mr Han’s predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol.
After the vote on Friday, Mr Han said he will step aside to avoid more chaos.
The opposition brought impeachment proceedings against him over his refusal to immediately fill three places on South Korea’s Constitutional Court – where the former president is on trial.
Three justices had been approved by parliament – where the opposition Democratic Party has a majority – but Mr Han said he would not formally appoint them without bipartisan agreement.
South Korea’s constitution says that six justices on the nine-member Constitutional Court must agree to remove an impeached president, meaning the current justices must vote unanimously to remove Mr Yoon.
The court has said it can deliberate without the full nine-member bench.
Leader of the opposition Lee Jae-myung had vowed to go ahead with the impeachment, accusing Mr Han of “acting for insurrection”.
A man waves a South Korean flag at an anti-Yoon Suk Yeol protest. Pic: AP
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Now that Mr Han – who is also prime minister – has been impeached, his finance minister Choi Sang-mok is set to take over as acting president.
Politicians in the 300 parliament voted 192-0 to impeach him. Governing party politicians boycotted the vote.
Following the vote, Mr Han said he would respect the decision and will await a ruling from the Constitutional Court on the impeachment motion.
Mr Han will be stripped of the powers and duties of the president until the Constitutional Court decides whether to dismiss or reinstate him – the same as with Mr Yoon.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he would be open to peace talks with Ukraine in Slovakia “if it comes to that”.
Mr Putin said Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who this week visited the Kremlin, had offered his country as a location for negotiations as the war in Ukraine nears the three-year mark.
The Russian president said the Slovakian authorities “would be happy to provide their own country as a platform for negotiations”.
“We are not opposed, if it comes to that. Why not? Since Slovakia takes such a neutral position,” Mr Putin said, adding he was resolved to end the conflict in Ukraine, which started with a land, air and sea invasion of Russia’s smaller neighbour in February 2022.
Follow the latest updates on the war in Ukraine
Ukraine is yet to comment on Slovakia’s offer but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly criticised the country, which borders Ukraine, for the friendly tone Mr Fico has struck towards Russia since his return to power after an election in 2023.
Mr Fico has been critical of EU support for Ukraine, where millions have been displaced since Mr Putin’s decision to launch a “special military operation” to “denazify” and “demilitarise” the 37 million-strong country.
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Mr Zelenskyy on North Korea and Slovakian PM in Moscow
Mr Putin has repeatedly said Russia is open to talks to end the conflict with Kyiv, but that it would nevertheless achieve its goals in Ukraine.
He has previously demanded Ukraine withdraw its bid to join NATO and asked it to recognise Russia’s gains. Both Kyiv and the West have rejected those demands.
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But while Mr Zelenskyy had for most of the conflict insisted Ukraine would keep fighting until it regained control of its territories, his position on negotiations now appears to have shifted.
In an interview with Sky News, Mr Zelenskyy suggested a ceasefire deal could be struck if the Ukrainian territory he controls could be taken “under the NATO umbrella”.
This would then allow him to negotiate the return of the rest later “in a diplomatic way”.
The Ukrainian leader admitted last week his forces would be unable to recapture any territories occupied by Russia in the east of Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula.
While Kyiv would never recognise Russia’s rule, he said diplomacy is the only option to get Mr Putin to withdraw his army.
The war in Ukraine has taken a devastating toll on Russia too. UK government and military analysis estimates that Russia has lost around half a million troops killed or wounded in Ukraine.
Such is the pressure on manpower that The Kremlin turned to one of its remaining allies, North Korea, to provide additional forces.
It’s thought 10,000 to 12,000 troops were sent in October to fight alongside the Russian military in the fighting in the Kursk region.
However it’s suggested their lack of combat experience has resulted in heavy losses, with Mr Zelenskyy saying earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have already been killed and wounded.
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