Humza Yousaf revealed as new SNP leader after fiery five-week contest

HUMZA Yousaf has been elected as the next leader of the SNP after a fiery five-week contest.

The Health Secretary saw off Finance Secretary Kate Forbes and former community safety minister Ash Regan in their bid to replace Nicola Sturgeon.

The First Minister announced in February that she would resign after more than eight years in the job once her successor has been chosen.

Mr Yousaf will become Scotland’s youngest First Minister and also the first ever person from a minority ethnic background to hold the post.

SNP members had until midday to vote for their new leader – and Scotland’s next first minister, subject to Holyrood approval.

The outcome was announced at the BT Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh.

The SNP’s national secretary Lorna Finn announced that turnout in the party’s leadership election was 70%.

For first preferences in the STV system, Humza Yousaf took 24,336 (48%), Kate Forbes took 20,559 (40%) and Ash Regan took 5,599 (11%) of the vote.

When second preferences were distributed in the second stage, Humza Yousaf took 26,032 (52%) and Kate Forbes took 23,890 (48%).

A vote in Holyrood will follow on Tuesday to select the next first minister.

It has not been a smooth leadership contest for the party, with acrimonious clashes between candidates and the dramatic resignation of chief executive Peter Murrell following controversy over the transparency of SNP membership numbers.

Mr Yousaf, 37, and Ms Forbes, 32, had particularly clashed over their record in government and their social views.

Polls put the candidates almost neck and neck ahead of the result, with Mr Yousaf favourite among SNP voters, according to an Ipsos Scotland survey of 1,023 Scots, with a net favourability of 11%, compared with 6% for his rival, Ms Forbes.

But the Finance Secretary was viewed more favourably by the general public, with a net popularity rating of minus 8%, compared with the Health Secretary’s minus 20%.

Ms Regan – who throughout the contest was widely considered an outsider for the job – had a net favourability of minus 24% among the general public, and minus 7% with SNP voters.