Angus Robertson rules himself out of race to replace Sturgeon

This morning Angus Robertson has announced he will not be standing in the SNP leadership contest. He was the bookies’ favourite to replace Nicola Sturgeon as the most experienced contender in the field. He spent ten years as the party’s leader at Westminster, prior to becoming Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution in 2021. But in a a statement Robertson says that:

As the father of two very young children the time is not right for me and my family to take on such a huge commitment. I look forward to working with the next SNP leader and First Minister to deliver progressive policies and economic success for Scotland, and help secure Scottish independence within the European Union.

Robertson’s decision will come as a boost to Kate Forbes, the other front-runner. There’s speculation that the Finance Secretary will announce her own bid within the next 24 hours, with the Sun reporting she will do so today.