THE early bookies' favourite to take over from Nicola Sturgeon as Scotland’s First Minister is Angus Robertson MSP.
A stalwart of the party and certainly no stranger to leadership positions he will be seen by many as the obvious choice to assume the mantle.
But exactly who is Angus Robertson and what would his potential leadership look like?
Westminster beginnings
Robertson first became an SNP MP in 2001, representing the constituency of Moray.
At the time he was Scotland’s youngest MP at 31 years old and quickly made a name for himself as a hard-working member of the Westminster group.
Now 53, he is a year older than Nicola Sturgeon and few would question his experience.
Before becoming leader of the SNP at Westminster in 2007, he served as spokesperson on defence and international relations.
He was also elected as deputy leader of the party in 2016, receiving more than 50% of the votes.
However, his tenure as leader of the party in the House of Commons ended in 2017 when he lost his seat in a surprise defeat to Douglas Ross.
Following this, he resigned as deputy leader and established the pro-independence think tank Progress Scotland.
Robertson’s return
Ahead of the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections, Robertson announced his intention to contest the Edinburgh Central seat, which at the time was being vacated by former Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson.
He won the seat convincingly with 39% of the vote and was soon appointed as Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture.
A fluent German speaker, Robertson is known for his confidence in foreign diplomacy and for maintaining good relations with Europe.
What would a Robertson leadership look like?
Ahead of the Supreme Court ruling, Robertson previously cast doubt on Nicola Sturgeon’s proposed timeframe for a second independence referendum in 2023 instead claiming that “a referendum will come at some stage”.
It is unclear whether Robertson supports either a Scottish Parliament or UK General Election being used as a de facto referendum.
However, he has previously called on the UK Government to grant a Section 30 order to enable Scotland to hold an indyref2 that is sanctioned by Westminster – perhaps suggesting that patience is his preferred game plan.
Despite only becoming an MSP in 2021, his longevity within the party ensures that he will be seen somewhat as a continuity candidate.
He has also said that a vote for independence in a second referendum should be considered a vote to rejoin the EU.
