As our live page coverage of this historic day draws to a close, we'll take the opportunity to remind you of the headlines:

• Humza Yousaf has succeeded Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and will almost certainly become Scotland's first minister tomorrow
• The 37-year-old is the first Muslim to lead a major UK party
• Mr Yousaf defeated rivals Kate Forbes and Ash Regan in a leadership contest that exposed deep divisions within the party

• He is set to be confirmed as the first ethnic minority leader of a devolved government on Tuesday
• Yousaf paid tribute to his rivals, Finance Secretary Kate Forbes and former minister Ash Regan, telling them "I know collectively we will continue to work hard as part of Team SNP"
• Rishi Sunak congratulated Nicola Sturgeon's successor, saying they should both focus on "issues that matter to people" like reducing inflation rather than Scottish independence
• Yousaf says it will be "his greatest honour" if elected FM on Tuesday, when a vote takes place in the Scottish Parliament

That's all from us here on the live page, thank you for joining us today.

As Humza Yousaf finds himself on the brink of being Scotland's youngest ever first minister, Nicola Sturgeon finds herself in the early stages of learning to drive, according to a new BBC podcast.

The outgoing first minister says she did not make time to take lessons when she was younger as she was focused on politics.

Now she hopes learning to drive will give her more "personal freedom".

Hear more of the conversation by subscribing to the Nicola Sturgeon podcast on BBC Sounds. Episode 1: The Resignation is available from Monday 27 March.

Grasping climate change failurespublished at 18:42 British Summer Time 27 March 2023

18:42 BST 27 March 2023

Kevin Keane
BBC Scotland environment correspondent

One of Nicola Sturgeon’s priorities has been tackling climate change, with the Scottish Parliament setting some of the most ambitious targets in the world.

But year after year those targets have been missed and the government’s independent advisers have said Scotland’s lead has been lost.

So the new first minister, almost certain to be Humza Yousaf, will have to take a grasp of these failures, whether they like it or not, because the 2030 and 2045 targets are legally binding.

It may not be popular either. It’s often been said that we’ve “done the easy stuff” like decarbonising our electricity supply networks.

What comes next will require big spending and big change, like installing heat pumps in millions of homes and creating a charging network to facilitate drivers switching to electric vehicles.

With environmental groups increasingly using the courts to hold governments to account, this also isn’t something that can be put off indefinitely.

Image source, Getty Images

SNP deputy leader Keith Brown denies that Humza Yousaf’s victory – 52.1% to 47.9% after second preference votes were redistributed - has shown a divided party.

He tells BBC Scotland’s Drivetime that Mr Yousaf’s winning margin is a “significant number of votes” for Scotland’s largest political party and “could be more than the membership of the Labour party or Tory party in Scotland, for all we know”.

The justice secretary insists that the SNP “has the ability, and will” to come together and “work for the common good” after a “lively, even robust contest”.

Mr Brown also denies that Mr Yousaf represents a continuation of Nicola Sturgeon’s policies, saying the new leader is “his own man with his own ideas” who wants a “different style of government”.

“All parties have to refresh themselves from time to time if they are to stay relevant,” he adds. “You have got to continuously make sure you are on top of your game and a leadership contest ensures we can do that.

“I think this will be a fresh start – some things will continue, but there will be things that will change as well.”

What's in the new FM's in-tray for business and the economy?published at 18:26 British Summer Time 27 March 2023

18:26 BST 27 March 2023

Douglas Fraser
Scotland business & economy editor

Scotland’s businesses lobby hope for a reset in their relations with Bute House. Several feel their concerns have taken a low priority under Nicola Sturgeon.

As evidence, they point to a raft of reforms that are making it more expensive to do business. The highest profile during the leadership campaign has been the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS),

All three SNP leadership candidates said it cannot go ahead, at least on its current schedule. This is a policy associated with Green ministers, and change would require negotiation with them. They have signalled a willingness to give ground on the way it impacts small firms.

There follow question marks over limiting the marketing of alcohol, the tax and regulations affecting private landlords, marine protections, and growing hostility to further oil and gas investment.

There are longer-term challenges: improving road transport as it affects freight, ferries as they affect island economies, and the uncertainty hanging over support for green business activity, such as retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency, which will be necessary to hit climate change targets. There’s the clamour, notably from retailers, to reform business rates.

And there is a question mark over economic strategy. That starts within devolved powers, where the year-old strategy is seen as more of a wish list than an action plan.

It extends to a plan for an independent Scotland’s economy - its currency, relations with the European Union and trading with the rest of the UK, and how it could spark the growth necessary to fund big ambitions.

Drivetime with Fiona Stalker
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, PA Media

Humza Yousaf has succeeded Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and is set to become Scotland's first minister tomorrow.

Zara Mohammed, secretary general of the Muslim Council for Britain, tells Drivetime: "I think this is a momentous occasion, not only for Scotland but for the United Kingdom."

Ms Mohammed says the 37-year-old is the first Muslim to lead a major UK party.

She tells the programme this win shows "it doesn't matter what your background is, your ethnicity, your faith, but actually you can be a representative of all communities".

She adds: "I think it harks credit to the diverse and vibrant Scotland we have and I think it will be really, really touching to a lot of that first generation that came, as well as our parents' generation and to lots of young people to really think about what they can do and to not feel limited about their difference or diversity."

Image source, PA Media

If you're just joining us Humza Yousaf has been elected to succeed Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and is almost certain to become Scotland's next first minister tomorrow.

He was widely seen as being the preferred candidate of the SNP establishment - including Ms Sturgeon herself.

The health secretary was endorsed by far more MSPs and MPs than his two rivals, with Deputy First Minister John Swinney predicting that Mr Yousaf would "complete our journey to independence".

He is undoubtedly the most experienced of the three leadership contenders, having served in government since 2012 in roles including justice secretary and transport minister.

His supporters say he is a polished communicator who is best placed to unite the party and maintain the power-sharing agreement with the Scottish Greens after what has been a deeply fractious leadership contest.

Read more here.

Analysis - SNP tension will continue over 'fundamental arguments'published at 18:08 British Summer Time 27 March 2023

18:08 BST 27 March 2023

Glenn Campbell
BBC Scotland Political Editor

Victory by 52% to 48% is not the ringing endorsement Humza Yousaf would have wanted from the party membership, but a win is a win and it was accepted by all three candidates.

It is a massive personal moment for Mr Yousaf, but very quickly he will no longer be able to bask in the glory because he will be immersed in the detail and challenges that come with this big responsibility.

Under Alex Salmond and then Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP was a fairly united party and able to keep everybody on pretty much the same page, but underlying tensions have bubbled to the surface during this campaign.

Mr Yousaf has called for the party to come together and those signals in the days ahead will be important - will he try to bring in Kate Forbes and Ash Regan?

But some arguments will continue because they were pretty fundamental – the direction to take on independence, whether to challenge the UK government on its decision to block the gender reform legislation passed by Holyrood.

We now know Mr Yousaf's position is pretty secure, with the Greens - who share power – deciding they want to continue that agreement and backing him as first minister.

So he will easily see off the challenge from other parties in tomorrow's vote, but it is straight down to work because there are enormous challenges facing the Scottish government – trying to bring down huge NHS waiting lists, levels of poverty and drug-related deaths.

He now also carries the torch for the SNP’s ultimate goal of independence. It is clear he will continue to pursue that goal, as well as use Holyrood’s devolved powers to tackle some of the big challenges of the day, including the cost of living crisis.

There is always a tension in that. His rivals say every time he talks about independence, he is prolonging division in the country, whereas Humza Yousaf himself says he wants to govern for all the people of Scotland.

Image source, Getty Images

Outgoing First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirms she has made a £100 donation to charity after losing a bet with Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross.

The wager centred on who would be the first to stand down as leader of their party.

Ms Sturgeon shared a screenshot, external on Twitter of her donation to the Children's Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS), which she describes as a "truly wonderful charity".

Sam Hancock
Live reporter

Humza Yousaf spoke immediately after being announced as winner of the SNP leadership election - here are the key points:

Independence

Unsurprisingly, a main focus of that speech was the new SNP leader's intention to carry on fighting for Scottish independence. He wants to be the person to make this long-time promise a reality, he told those sitting before him.

Immediate vision

His priorities will be to continue to "protect" Scottish people from the "harm" inflicted by the cost of living crisis, to "recover and reform" the NHS and other vital public services, to support the economy and to improve the life chances of people across Scotland.

UK government

In a look ahead to what could be one of the hardest issues Yousaf will inherit, he told SNP members he's had his "fair share of battles with the UK government over the years" - and acknowledged there may be more to come.

"I will work with them, and with other devolved nations constructively, where I can in the best interests of our nation," he said of Rishi Sunak's government.

Family and identity

In an emotional tribute to his family, Yousaf praised his wife and daughters as well as his grandparents who he thanked for making "the trip from the Punjab to Scotland over 60 years ago".

Catriona Renton
BBC Scotland reporter

Party member Liam McFall, 40, said he had supported Mr Yousaf in the leadership contest and had attended the hustings in the city.

“He seemed the most experienced, I liked what he was saying the most,” he said.

Sana Hassan, 33, said she had personally been helped by her local MSP some years ago.

She said his victory was “amazing” and that she was looking forward to seeing what he did in the role.

Neil Singh, 52, said he would have preferred Kate Forbes to win because of her conservative values.

He hopes Mr Yousaf will be “a binding force” who brings the country together.

Sixteen-year-old Leah McCloy said she did not think Mr Yousaf, who lives in Dundee, had been very effective as an MSP for the area.

She added: “I don’t think he’s got a very good track record in government and I’m not sure that he’ll do a very good job as first minister.”

Image source, PA MEDIA

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has given his reaction to Mr Yousaf's victory speech, saying: “This is just the same old, same old. The SNP is tired and out of touch, and it doesn’t look as if Humza Yousaf wants to make that any better.

“On health, on education, on the cost of living, on the climate emergency, the nationalists have no credible strategy.

"At Humza Yousaf’s lead, the SNP will continue to haemorrhage reasonable, fair-minded voters who simply want good governance, not wrecking balls to unity and partnership."

Mr Cole-Hamilton says he's tired of the "scapegoating and backbiting that has chipped away at our politics for too long".

He says people need a party who will fight their corner.

"This country is ready for change and Scottish Liberal Democrats will be part of what’s next,” he adds.

James Cook
Scotland Editor, BBC News

Humza Yousaf is now the 14th leader of the SNP since it was created in 1934 by the merger of the National Party of Scotland and the Scottish Party.

The changes Scotland has undergone in those 89 years are immense. The country is vastly more prosperous now. But many challenges set out at the party's inaugural conference remain surprisingly relevant today.

Tackling Scotland's poor performance in education; stimulating new industries; building houses; dealing with barriers to the export of Scottish produce; and increasing workers' wages, all featured in the Glasgow Herald's newspaper's report of that very first SNP meeting, external.

Ms Yousaf will, to one extent or another, have to grapple with all of those issues, along with the urgent need to tackle a creaking National Health Service.

He must also find a way to reunite their party after a fractious contest which will involve outlining a detailed, practical vision of an independent Scotland which can win popular support and a route map to get there.

At the 1934 gathering, the SNP’s central aim was summed up as convincing the people of Scotland "of the need of self-government" while also presenting them "with a practical programme of reconstruction."

Times and language may change but the goal remains remarkably similar.

The former director of communications for the SNP, Kevin Pringle, points out the election was close and he thinks it was the weight of endorsements that certainly helped to get Humza Yousaf over the line.

Mr Pringle tells Drivetime that support of many MSPs and MPs was crucial.

He says Humza Yousaf has to learn the lessons of equally close votes in the past.

Nevertheless, he says this is a "historic achievement" and important success.

Opposition parties have already questioned whether Humza Yousaf has a mandate as SNP leader and are expected to escalate calls for a Scottish election.

Sir John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, doubts whether that option would be "wise or practicable", given Scottish parliamentary terms are fixed for five years.

The only way there could be an election is if Holyrood fails to elect a new first minister within 30 days - which "seems unlikely" as Mr Yousaf will "probably win on the first vote tomorrow" - or if two-thirds of MSPs vote for an early election.

Although still the dominant party in Scotland, polls suggest the SNP would likely lose, rather than gain, ground in any early election, Sir John says.

Polls also suggest Mr Yousaf is not that popular among the wider Scottish public, so there would not necessarily be a boost from him becoming leader, he adds.

Given that Kate Forbes received 48% of the votes in the second round of counting, Sir John believes it will be "very difficult" for Mr Yousaf not to offer her a position in his government - "if he is politically wise, he will offer that olive branch," he adds.

Now if you're just joining us Humza Yousaf has succeeded Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader and is expected to replace her as Scotland's first minister tomorrow after a vote of party members.

The leadership election was decided by the Single Transferable Vote system, with 50,490 of the SNP's 72,169 members casting a vote - the vast majority of them online.

After Ms Regan was eliminated in the first round, Mr Yousaf defeated Ms Forbes by 52% to 48% in the second round, with Mr Yousaf receiving 26,032 votes and Ms Forbes 23,890.

Image source, Getty

Asked about new SNP leader Humza Yousaf's push for independence, the UK government says it is focused on the "issues that matter" to the public.

The prime minister's spokesman tells reporters: "I think you know our well established position.

"Reducing inflation, dealing with the cost of living, tackling backlogs, those are the issues the public care about. That's what the government will be focused on.

"More broadly, you've heard the Levelling Up secretary congratulate Humza Yousaf on his election as leader of the Scottish National Party, and of course, the prime minister looks forward to working with him in the future."

Drivetime with Fiona Stalker
BBC Radio Scotland

Kevin Stewart says: "I'm fair chuffed that Humza Yousaf has been elected SNP leader and will soon be our first minister."

The minister for mental wellbeing and social care tells Drivetime Mr Yousaf has the "grit and determination to lead our nation".

He says Mr Yousaf has the progressive policies to create a fairer Scotland and he also recognises the need for just transition from oil and gas in the north east.

"I think it's absolutely fantastic that we've elected Humza," he tells the programme.

Now is the time to unite, he says, adding: "It's back to Team SNP".

What next for the defeated candidates?published at 17:03 British Summer Time 27 March 2023

17:03 BST 27 March 2023

Philip Sim
BBC Scotland political correspondent

There are contrasting questions now for the two defeated candidates.

For Kate Forbes the question is whether she leaves government, having fallen a hair’s breadth short of leading it.

She is saying conciliatory things about how the party is not divided, but she must be wondering about her future after a bitter contest which saw many colleagues come out against her.

Conversely, Ash Regan is now looking to see how much influence her 11% can buy.

She says her candidacy changed the race - and she will be hoping that some of the policies she put forward in terms of independence campaigning can now build momentum.

Image source, PA Media

Ash Regan has tweeted , externalher congratulations to Humza Yousaf after what she describes as a "lively contest".

The former minister, who was eliminated after the first round of voting, adds: "I wish him well and I back him as he leads our party - and I would encourage everyone to get behind Team SNP."