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How will Scotland's next first minister be chosen? | |
(3 days later) | |
John Swinney is expected to be the only candidate in the SNP leadership contest | |
John Swinney looks set to become leader of the SNP and Scotland's next first minister. | |
Current FM Humza Yousaf announced his resignation in the wake of the turmoil which followed his decision to end a power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens. | |
Mr Swinney looks likely to be the only candidate in the SNP leadership contest, which would then lead to his appointment as first minister in the coming days. | |
How will the SNP choose a new leader? | How will the SNP choose a new leader? |
SNP leadership candidates are required to get 100 nominations from at least 20 local party branches. | SNP leadership candidates are required to get 100 nominations from at least 20 local party branches. |
The decision of former finance secretary Kate Forbes not to stand means Mr Swinney is currently the only candidate. | |
Nominations will close at noon on Monday. If no other candidates come forward and meet the requirements, Mr Swinney will become the new SNP leader. | |
If more than one candidate does receive the required nominations, the next stage would be a ballot of members using a single transferable vote system. | |
The new party leader would then need to seek parliamentary approval to succeed Mr Yousaf as first minister. | |
How is a new first minister selected? | How is a new first minister selected? |
The parliament has 28 days to nominate a replacement for Mr Yousaf once his resignation has been accepted by the King. | The parliament has 28 days to nominate a replacement for Mr Yousaf once his resignation has been accepted by the King. |
As Mr Yousaf has decided to continue as first minister until a new party leader is selected, the countdown will not start until his successor is appointed by the SNP. | As Mr Yousaf has decided to continue as first minister until a new party leader is selected, the countdown will not start until his successor is appointed by the SNP. |
The selection of a new first minister takes place in the Scottish Parliament. The timing is decided by the parliamentary bureau, and could take place as early as Tuesday. | |
The leaders of other political parties can also put themselves forward during this process, although they do not expect to win. Any MSP can nominate a candidate, although it must be seconded by another member. | |
If there is more than one candidate, any one who secures more than half of all votes will win the nomination. | |
If no-one reaches that threshold, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated. This process will be repeated until the field is whittled down to two. | |
At that point, a candidate would only require a simple majority to win the nomination, meaning they only have to gain more votes than their opponent. | At that point, a candidate would only require a simple majority to win the nomination, meaning they only have to gain more votes than their opponent. |
The SNP has 63 seats in the parliament, which means it does not have a majority. | |
However, the party's nominee would be expected to win the vote and become first minister. | |
When could the new FM be in place? | |
If John Swinney becomes the new SNP leader on Monday, it is expected that Humza Yousaf would formally resign as first minister on Tuesday. | |
There could then be a vote in the Scottish Parliament that afternoon to choose the new first minister. | |
The parliament's presiding officer then recommends to the King that the winner be appointed as the new first minister. | |
There would then be an official swearing-in ceremony at the Court of Session in Edinburgh. This is likely to happen on Wednesday. | |
Should the parliament fail to agree a nomination for first minister within 28 days, the presiding officer would be required to propose a date for an "extraordinary general election". However, this has never happened in Scotland. | |
Related Topics | Related Topics |
Scotland | Scotland |
Scottish Parliament | Scottish Parliament |
SNP (Scottish National Party) | SNP (Scottish National Party) |
Humza Yousaf | Humza Yousaf |