An SNP Cabinet minister has rejected "wild conspiracy theories" over the number of senior Nationalists who have backed Humza Yousaf to become the party's next leader.
Michael Matheson was among the first MSPs to endorse the Health Secretary's campaign to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister.
Yousaf has since been backed by 50 SNP parliamentarians, including John Swinney, Ian Blackford, Stephen Flynn and Mhairi Black.