Edinburgh: Scotland's First Minister and Health Minister Hamza Yusuf has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the Scottish National Party.
When Sturgeon, 52, announced her resignation last week, it came as a shock to many in British politics. After leading the SNP and the Scottish Parliament for more than eight years, she claimed she had become too divisive a figure and was too tired to continue.
Yusuf, the best-known Muslim politician in Scotland, was the first to announce his intention to run for a leadership position. He and Sturgeon have similar political views on many issues, and Culture Secretary Angus Robertson, 53, announced on Monday he would step down as culture minister.
Deputy First Minister and former leader of the SNP in the early 2000s, John Swain, 58, declared himself out of the race on Thursday.
He stated that his decision not to run for the post was made to allow a "fresh perspective" on the ruling party's goals, which included the pursuit of Scottish independence from the UK.
These two announcements indicate that there will be a two-candidate race for the leadership of the party between Youssef, 37, and Kate Forbes, 32, the party's more socially conservative finance secretary, in a message posted on Twitter. announced his intention to succeed Sturgeon.
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Youssef launched his campaign on Monday in Clydebank, about eight miles west of Glasgow, as his grandfather Mohammed Youssef got his first job after immigrating to Scotland in 1962 at the Singer Sewing Machine Factory, which used to be a major employer. City. Clydebank was once famous for its shipbuilding history.
He praised Scotland's inclusive, diverse culture and claimed that his candidacy was clear evidence of this. He continued, "Not in his wildest dreams would his grandfather have dreamed that his grandson would be running for First Minister of Scotland."
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The SNP has announced it will hold a member vote to choose its new leader within six weeks, with a deadline of 27 March.
