What happens after the SNP elects a new leader? The process to install Scotland’s sixth First Minister
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The internal SNP vote closes at midday on Monday and the winner from the three candidates – Kate Forbes, Ash Regan or Humza Yousaf – will be announced around 2pm.
It will be a busy week in Edinburgh with the inauguration of a new First Minister for the first time in more than eight years.
What happens next?
Ms Sturgeon will remain in position until she formally offers her resignation to the King from which point Holyrood must vote in a new First Minister within 28 days.
So just 24 hours after the SNP leader is declared, MSPs will gather in the Scottish Parliament to start the process to elect her successor.
Time has been set aside for the election and nominations must be submitted at least 30 minutes before the formal vote which is scheduled to begin shortly after 2pm.
Other candidates to be First Minister
Theoretically, any MSP from any party can run for First Minister and they can do so if they have the support of just one other MSP.
It is quite likely other parties will put forward a candidate – it has happened several times before – but it is unlikely that anyone other than the SNP leader will actually win.
If there is more than one candidate then there will be a series of votes and the winner must get more votes than all other candidates combined.
Each round – if there is more than one candidate – will see the MSP with the lowest number of votes excluded from the next round.
New First Minister by the end of the day
It is expected that barring a major shock, like MSPs voting against their own party, a new First Minister will have been elected by MSPs by the end of the day.
The Presiding Officer will then submit the name of that person to the King to be formally sworn in and the King will sign the Royal warrant.
The final stage of the swearing-in process of the next First Minister is at the Court of Session, which is currently scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Though it is almost certain that Scotland will have a new First Minister on Tuesday should there be an upset then the parliament has 28 days to elect one.
After that, if one has not been elected, then the Presiding Officer will call an election.
Busy week
So to summarise – it will be a very busy week in Edinburgh, starting with the SNP leadership announcement on Monday and the formal resignation of Ms Sturgeon.
On Tuesday, the parliament will meet with the aim of electing the new First Minister, they will be sworn into office at the Court of Session on Wednesday.
On Thursday, a little more normality will return as the First Minister will take up their seat in Holyrood for First Minister’s Question.
A new era
At that point Scotland will have a new leader, its third SNP First Minister, its sixth in all and it will certainly mark a new era in Scottish political life.
Whoever wins the SNP leadership it will be a new era for the party and the parliament as it will be the first time that Scotland has a First Minister who was not elected when the parliament was re-established in 1999.
In 1999, Ash Regan was 24 years old, Humza Yousaf was 14 and Kate Forbes was nine and that means they have more of a post devolution perspective.
