SNP Leadership Contest:

It’s often said that a week is a long time in politics. If that is the case, then two decades is an eternity. That is how long Nicola Sturgeon has been at the helm of her party, either in capacity as Deputy Leader, Deputy First Minister or First Minister.

It is hard to understate how big a moment Sturgeon’s resignation is, both for the SNP and for Scottish politics. Scotland’s premier party has lost a leader renowned for electoral success; a leader who, alongside her one time mentor, Alex Salmond, shaped the modern SNP and transformed it from a party of perennial opposition to the natural party of government in Scotland. She will be a hard act to follow.

Her successor faces a daunting task. Over the last 30 years, Nicola Sturgeon has transformed the fortunes of her party taking them from the fringes to the pinnacle of power. Her shock resignation is a watershed moment for her party. It is now over to the next generation to finish what Sturgeon started. In this document, we examine whether any of them are up to the task. Her successor faces a daunting task.

Over the last 30 years, Nicola Sturgeon has transformed the fortunes of her party taking them from the fringes to the pinnacle of power. Her shock resignation is a watershed moment for her party. It is now over to the next generation to finish what Sturgeon started. In this document, we examine whether any of them are up to the task.