Kate Forbes

Although she spent some of her upbringing in Glasgow and India, Kate Forbes is originally from Dingwall and is the only candidate representing a rural constituency and is a passionate advocate for the Gaelic language.

Re-elected in May, 2021, she was thrust into ministerial office as Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Economy after the previous incumbent, Derek Mackay, resigned from his post just hours before the Scottish Government’s budget was to be delivered.

A graduate of Cambridge and Edinburgh, Forbes was previously employed as an accountant in the banking industry.

Ash Regan

Brought up in Biggar, Regan’s family moved to England when she was 10. She attended Keele University, graduating with a BA in international relations and subsequently had roles in PR and marketing firms.

Returning to Scotland in 2012, she joined the independence movement in 2014, playing a role in the campaign group, Women for Independence during the independence referendum. After that, she stood for election and unseated the high-profile Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale, in 2016.

Appointed Minister for Community Safety in 2018, she was re-elected in 2021 and held her ministerial role, but later resigned from Government after calling for the reform of the Gender Recognition Act to be delayed.

Humza Yousaf

Born in Glasgow, Mr Yousaf was privately educated and later read politics at the University of Glasgow where he graduated with an MA. After graduating, he was employed at Holyrood as a parliamentary assistant to Bashir Ahmad MSP.

Elected first as a regional MSP in 2011 and as a constituency MSP in 2016, he has held a number of ministerial roles since 2012, including transport and external affairs. Promoted to the Cabinet in 2018, he has since served as Cabinet Secretary for Justice and is currently the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care.

Yousaf has pledged to support the advance of human rights if he becomes First Minister.