Scotland’s Jacinda Ardern? Cabinet secretary Kate Forbes leads race to replace Nicola Sturgeon

Angus Robertson and Humza Yousaf also among early favourites to replace Ms Sturgeon after her dramatic resignation

Kate Forbes has been tipped as the natural successor to Nicola Sturgeon ever since she was elected to the Scottish parliament in 2016. Now that her former boss has created a vacancy, fervour around the 32-year-old finance secretary’s possible accession to the leadership looks set only to grow.

The Highlander and fluent Gaelic speaker won many admirers in 2020 after she became the first woman to deliver the Scottish Budget following devolution, having stepped in at the last minute to replace the finance secretary at the time, Derek Mackay.

Finance secretary Kate Forbes with Nicola Sturgeon in the Scottish parliament (PA)