Who might replace Humza Yousaf as SNP leader?
- Published
So with Humza Yousaf falling on his sword, who's likely to take over?
One name doing the rounds is that of the former deputy first minister John Swinney.
He's widely seen as an experienced, popular, safe pair of hands in the party.
He didn't want the job last time round, but has said he would now consider it.
Speaking to broadcasters in Westminster, he said he had been "somewhat overwhelmed" by requests to run for leadership from "many colleagues across the party".
John Swinney considers leadership bid
"I'm giving that issue very active consideration and it’s likely I’ll have more to say about that in the days to come," Mr Swinney said.
However, he said he would have to "make sure I do the right thing by my family".
Mr Swinney also said he did not believe there should be a snap Scottish Parliament election, and that it should see out its fixed five-year term.
"The Scottish government in the years ahead is going to have to find agreement with people of other persuasions because you can't pass a budget without a majority in parliament," he said.
One big question for whoever takes over is how do they pass legislation without a majority in parliament.
The impression I get is that the Scottish Greens would look quite kindly on John Swinney taking over, potentially paving a route to a relationship that could work.
This might not be a formal deal like the Bute House Agreement, but it could help government function.
Will Kate Forbes be a candidate?
Kate Forbes is another obvious contender. She narrowly lost to Humza Yousaf in the SNP leadership contest which saw him become leader.
Her campaign was rocked by her admission that she wouldn't have backed same-sex marriage, but by the time the membership voted 48% of them still opted for the Highland MSP.
She has rebelled on a number of issues while she's been on the backbenches, and is widely seen as representing a more socially conservative wing of the party.
She has also expressed concern that the party's been losing focus on rural areas.
If she was to get the job, could she govern? The SNP doesn't have a majority, so how does legislation get passed in this scenario?
The Scottish Greens don't like Kate Forbes's stance on a number of social issues, so their backing won't be forthcoming.
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The Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said it would be a "mistake" for the SNP if they were searching for a stable government.
But it's possible she could do deals elsewhere with other parties.
Minority government at Holyrood is nothing new. One ally of Kate Forbes told me that you could work with other parties on an issue-by-issue basis.
Stephen Flynn, the SNP's Westminster leader, was initially considered among the possible leadership contenders, but he has ruled himself out to back Mr Swinney.
So we still don’t have any declared candidates, but someone from the SNP benches is going to have to take on the top job.
Will we get a competition? Or a coronation?