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Humza Yousaf has narrowly won the bitterly-fought contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon as the SNP leader and Scotland\u2019s first minister, winning by just over 2,000 votes.<\/p>\n
The 37-year-old is set to become Scotland\u2019s youngest first minister and the first person from a minority ethnic background to hold the post after the result was announced at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.<\/p>\n
Viewed as the continuity candidate, Mr Yousaf said he felt like \u201cthe luckiest man in the world\u201d to lead the party he \u201cloves so dearly\u201d \u2013 calling it \u201cthe greatest honour and privilege\u201d of his life.<\/p>\n
Kate Forbes \u2013 the 32-year-old finance secretary who repeatedly clashed with Mr Yousaf over his record \u2013 finished runner-up. Ash Reagan, the outsider with the most hardline position on\u00a0Scottish independence, finished third.<\/p>\n
Ms Regan took just 5,599 (11 per cent) of the votes in the first round of the members\u2019 ballot. When second preferences were distributed, Mr Yousaf took 26,032 (52 per cent) and Kate Forbes took 23,890 (48 per cent).<\/p>\n
It has not been a smooth process, with acrimonious clashes between candidates and the dramatic resignation of chief executive Peter Murrell \u2013 Ms Sturgeon\u2019s husband \u2013 following controversy over the transparency of SNP membership numbers.<\/p>\n
Interim chief executive Mike Russell admitted the party was in a \u201ctremendous mess\u201d after the membership row, while even Ms Sturgeon described the contest as \u201cfractious\u201d and acknowledged the party was suffering from \u201cgrowing pains\u201d.<\/p>\n
Polls had made Mr Yousaf favourite among SNP voters, but faces an uphill battle to win over others in Scotland. An Ipsos Scotland survey found Ms Forbes was more popular with the public \u2013 with a net rating of minus 8 per cent, compared with Mr Yousaf on minus 20.<\/p>\n
Mr Yousaf\u00a0said in his victory speech on Monday that he would lead Scotland \u201cin the interest of all of our citizens\u201d, whatever their political allegiance.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI will work every minute of every day to earn and re-earn your respect and your trust \u2026 There will be no empty promises or easy soundbites when the issues in front of us are difficult and complex. Because government is not easy and I won\u2019t pretend that it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Sturgeon announced in February that she would resign, but did not put a succession plan in place and left the Scottish independence push at an impasse. She departed after Rishi Sunak\u2019s government and the Supreme Court refused to allow Holyrood to hold its own referendum.<\/p>\n
Ms Regan \u2013 the outsider who branded the other two candidates \u201cwishy washy\u201d on independence \u2013 vowed to make every single election a \u201cde facto\u201d referendum on separation until the Westminster government gives in. <\/p>\n
Humza Yousaf said he felt like \u2018the luckiest man in the world\u2019 <\/p>\n
(Reuters)<\/p>\n
While Mr Yousaf vowed to push the independence campaign into \u201cfifth gear\u201d, he also suggested during the contest that the SNP had to rethink its strategy \u2013 saying the party had to win \u201ca consistent majority for independence\u201d before legal obstacles would \u201cdisappear\u201d.<\/p>\n
The new SNP leader said on Monday: \u201cTo those in Scotland who don\u2019t quite yet share that passion that I do for independence, I will aim to earn your trust by continuing to ensure that we govern well [and] focusing on the priorities that matter to all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called for a\u00a0Holyrood election \u2013 though one is not due to 2026 \u2013 once Mr Yousaf takes office. He also the BBC: \u201cI don\u2019t think Humza Yousaf is up to the task, to be frank, of the big challenges now facing Scotland.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Sarwar also said the end of the Sturgeon era presents a major opportunity for Scottish Labour \u2013 with party strategists hoping to win 20 seats at the next general election.<\/p>\n
Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes as result announced<\/p>\n
(PA)<\/p>\n
The Scottish Labour leader told Chopper\u2019s Politics podcast that Ms Sturgeon\u2019s exit will make it \u201ceasier for us to achieve a Labour government\u201d \u2013 describing Mr Yousaf and the other two candidates as \u201cnot in her league\u201d.<\/p>\n
Of the three candidates, only Mr Yousaf has said he would continue to fight the UK government in court after Mr Sunak and his ministers blocked Holyrood\u2019s gender self-ID legislation.<\/p>\n
Mr Sturgeon \u2013 who had warned candidates not to \u201cthrow the baby out with the bath water\u201d \u2013 congratulated Mr Yousaf and said: \u201cHe will be an outstanding leader and First Minister and I could not be prouder to have him succeed me.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Ms Forbes represents a rural constituency and was viewed as pro-business, Mr Yousaf is from the urban constituency of Glasgow Pollok and is seen as more in favour of wealth redistribution.<\/p>\n
Stephen Noon,\u00a0chief strategist for the pro-independence Yes campaign in 2014, said the close result suggested the SNP would continue to balance the two urges. \u201cThis has long been a creative dynamic for the party and can serve us well again.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email Humza Yousaf has narrowly won the bitterly-fought contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon as the SNP leader and Scotland\u2019s first minister, winning by just over 2,000 votes. The 37-year-old is set to become Scotland\u2019s youngest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n