Summary

  • New SNP leader Humza Yousaf says he is a proud Scot who is "the luckiest man in the world" to take the helm of a party he has supported "for 20 years"

  • He wins on the second count with 52.1% of the vote, beating Kate Forbes who receives 47.9%. Third candidate Ash Regan is eliminated on the first count after securing 11.1%

  • Yousaf adds that despite his battles with the UK government he will "work with them and other devolved nations constructively"

  • PM Rishi Sunak congratulates Nicola Sturgeon's successor, saying they should both focus on "issues that matter to people" like reducing inflation rather than Scottish independence

  • Yousaf pays tribute to his rivals, Finance Secretary Forbes, and former minister Regan, telling them "I know collectively we will continue to work hard as part of Team SNP"

  • Sturgeon announced last month that she was standing down after more than eight years as leader and Scotland's first minister

  • Yousaf says it will be "his greatest honour" if elected FM on Tuesday, when a vote takes place in the Scottish Parliament

Live Reporting

Edited by Catherine Lyst

  1. Sturgeon had been 'wrestling' with decision to resign

    Watch: Sturgeon 'wrestling' with decision to resign for weeks

    Nicola Sturgeon's announcement that she was resigning after more than eight years as head of the Scottish government came as a shock to most people.

    The Scottish National Party leader made the announcement at a hastily arranged news conference in Edinburgh, telling journalists that she had been "wrestling" with the question of her future for some weeks.

  2. Analysis

    Three radically different approaches

    Philip Sim
    BBC Scotland political correspondent

    The popular phrase around this leadership race is that it’s “too close to call”.

    The truth is a little more blunt: we don’t know. That’s an unfashionable phrase in politics, but nobody has the information to make an informed judgement at this point.

    The SNP membership is a black box, and the candidates didn’t even know how big it was until voting was already under way.

    If this was a by-election they would have a form book of previous results, precise demographic information about the population, local polling and canvass returns to work from.

    This is a by-election in a town where the population is ten times what it was in 2004 - at the last SNP leadership contest - and the only thing we know about the voters is that they’re all broadly in favour of independence.

    That’s why the three campaigns have taken quite radically different approaches – they have placed different bets on what they think the membership looks like.

    And it’s why the outcome is going to be largely unknowable until the moment it’s announced.

  3. Welcome to our coverage

    The three candidates were all smiles at the BBC debate, but the campaign turned bitter again within daysPA Media

    The three candidates were all smiles at the BBC debate, but the campaign turned bitter again within days

    Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of what promises to be a monumental day in Scottish history.

    At around 14:00 we'll finally find out who the winner of the contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon is.

    The votes from the online ballot of SNP members are being counted after the ballot closed at midday.

    Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes are standing in the race.

    We'll bring you live updates, analysis and reaction here throughout the day