SNP leadership: Kate Forbes claims 'groundswell of support' as infighting rages over downfall of Humza Yousaf

Scotland’s former finance minister Kate Forbes on Tuesday claimed there was a “groundswell of support” for her as the SNP grapples with its second leadership crisis in just over a year.

After a tearful Humza Yousaf announced his resignation as Scottish National Party leader and First Minister on Monday, Ms Forbes said she was still mulling whether to run again for the party leadership following her narrow loss to him 13 months ago.

“We’ll obviously be considering things over the next few hours and so on – nobody’s declared yet, so I think we do still have a bit of time,” she told reporters.

But she added: “I think for me it’s clear I have a groundswell of support amongst the party.

“That was clear from the last contest and clearly we need to weigh up what is in the best interests of the party, the country and my family,” said the 34-year-old, who ran previously for party leader while on maternity leave.

No contender has yet officially come forward to replace Mr Yousaf, after his ill-judged decision to evict the Greens from a Holyrood power-sharing deal saw his support collapse in the Scottish Parliament.

Former Deputy First Minister John Swinney, 60, has said he is seriously considering a run, with the backing of party heavyweights. He led the party from 2000-04 and stepped back from frontline politics last year to devote more time to his wife, who has multiple sclerosis.

But allies of Ms Forbes said there should not be an uncontested coronation as the SNP struggles to recover from the shock exit of Nicola Sturgeon a year ago.

The infighting is a gift to Labour, which needs to rebuild its MP numbers in Scotland to win back power in a UK general election later this year.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said an election in Scotland itself was “the only way to stop the chaos”.

"I actually now think the SNP has become so chaotic, so divided, so dysfunctional, that they aren't able to give this country the stable credible leadership it needs," he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University, said the socially conservative views of Ms Forbes would put her at odds with the Greens, whose support had propped up the SNP government.

“On the other hand, (she is a) very good speaker, very sharp politically, and perhaps is somebody who unlike Mr Swinney has demonstrated an ability to campaign effectively and reach out to a wider audience,” Sir John told Times Radio.

“She also certainly has a degree of popularity with the SNP and in a sense at the end of the day, the party does need to gain some voters beyond its existing ranks.”

Fifty per cent of SNP voters regard Mr Swinney favourably, but the pundit said this “pales into insignificance” compared to the support of 80 per cent still enjoyed by Ms Sturgeon despite a police investigation that has seen her husband Peter Murrell charged with alleged embezzlement of party funds.

The new leader needs to “steady the ship”, “unite the party” and bring back together a “coalition” of support, Sir John added.

“That is the reason John Swinney is being widely touted and certainly getting a lot of support within the SNP. He is widely regarded within the SNP, popular within the SNP,” he said.

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, one of the senior figures who is backing Mr Swinney, said claims that he played a key role in Mr Yousaf’s downfall were a “lie” after he headed up to Edinburgh and argued for the Bute House Agreement with the Greens to be abandoned.

“Nobody goes into the First Minister’s house and tells them what to do, let alone me. Any individual pushing this argument is overstating my influence and is perhaps overestimating their own abilities politically,” Mr Flynn said.

He added: “The reality is that myself and the First Minister, of course, discussed the situation with regards to the Bute House Agreement.

“I believe he made the right choice. I was not aware of the plan that was in place. We discussed the pros and the cons.”

Nominations have opened in the SNP leadership contest.

Mr Yousaf announced that he would stand down as he faced two confidence votes in Holyrood but said he would stay on to allow a successor to be chosen.

The SNP’s national secretary announced nominations opened on Monday at 11.59pm and would close next Monday.

In the hours following the First Minister’s announcement, senior members of the party turned to Mr Swinney to offer stability.

Mr Flynn said he was the “cool, calm head” that the Scottish public needs, adding that his record in politics is “unsurpassed in many respects”.

Pete Wishart, the long-serving SNP MP, already described Mr Swinney as being the “runaway favourite to take over the leadership of the party”.

Scottish Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth had also been suggested as a possible successor to Mr Yousaf but threw her backing behind Mr Swinney too “if he chooses to run”.

But allies of Ms Forbes were said to be angered at talk of a coronation to avert a divisive leadership ballot and install Mr Swinney unopposed.

SNP Scottish Parliament member Fergus Ewing said she was “head and shoulders” above any other potential candidate, “and she also is not associated with the problems that I think caused Humza eventually to resign”.

Whoever takes over as leader will need to be able to win enough votes in Holyrood to be elected First Minister, with the SNP needing just two votes for an overall majority.

The most likely suitors for the SNP would be the Greens – given the pro-independence bent of both parties and the reticence of other parties with the required number of MSPs to work with the party.

The Greens announced last week they would not support the First Minister in a confidence vote in his leadership this week after he scrapped the Bute House Agreement, eventually leading to his decision to step down.

SNP critics of the Agreement said it had left the party hostage to the Greens’ demands in areas such as trans rights and climate change, leaving Mr Yousaf out of step with most Scottish voters.