Humza Yousaf has been named leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) following Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation.
Mr Yousaf was voted leader of the SNP by the party’s members, receiving 52 per cent of the vote. He defeated rivals Kate Forbes and Ash Regan and, as a result, Mr Yousaf will almost certainly be confirmed as the First Minister of Scotland, after the vote is expected to be confirmed in Holyrood on Tuesday (March 28).
After being elected, Mr Yousaf said it was the “greatest honour and privilege of my life” and declared that “we will be the generation to win independence for Scotland”.
When is the next Scottish election?
The next Scottish election is set for May 7, 2026. The most recent election took place on May 6, 2021.
Ms Sturgeon had been First Minister of Scotland since 2014, following Alex Salmond’s resignation.
Mr Salmond resigned after the results of the Scottish Independence referendum revealed that the majority of Scottish people voted against independence.
In the 2014 referendum, 55.3 per cent of people voted to remain part of the UK.
Who won the last Scottish election?
The SNP won the majority in the 2021 election, with 64 seats.
The Scottish Conservative and Unionist party won 31, while the Scottish Labour party won 22, and the Scottish Green Party won eight. The Scottish Liberal Democrats won four seats.
Who could run in the next Scottish election?
Mr Yousaf, as the current SNP leader, could be elected as First Minister in the next election.
The Scottish Conservative Party leader Douglas Ross and Scottish Labour’s leader Anas Sarwar will likely compete.
When is the next UK general election?
The next UK general election is due to be held in January 2025. This is because the Government will automatically be dissolved in December 2024.
The last UK general election took place in December 2019, when the Conservative Party won 43.6 per cent of the popular vote.
