London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 18, 2025

SNP rivals set out indyref2 plans in fiery TV debate

SNP rivals set out indyref2 plans in fiery TV debate

The three candidates vying to replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader have set out their plans for independence during the contest's first live TV debate.

Humza Yousaf said he wanted to build a "consistent majority" by continuing the party's radical agenda.

Kate Forbes said a new approach was needed to win over undecided voters, adding "continuity won't cut it".

Rival candidate Ash Regan said the SNP had "lost its way" and pledged to unite the broader Yes movement.

The debate, hosted by STV, was marked at points by the candidates' personal attacks on each other's political records.

Following Nicola Sturgeon's decision to step down, all three contenders are running to become both the next SNP leader and Scotland's first minister.

Mr Yousaf, currently health secretary, pledged to grow support for independence "to new heights" and said he would challenge Westminster's blocking of gender recognition reforms passed at Holyrood.

Finance Secretary Ms Forbes said it was time for a new generation to lead and that she was ready for the job, stating "more of the same is not a manifesto - it's an acceptance of mediocrity".

Ms Regan said the SNP had to use the ballot box via elections as the "gold standard" to gaining independence and said she would "build the foundations for independence" through a dedicated commission and convention, describing the approach of the other candidates as "wishy washy".


Personal attacks


During an often feisty cross-examination section, Ms Forbes attacked Mr Yousaf's record as a Scottish government minister.

"You were a transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record high waiting times," she said.

The three candidates had some feisty exchanges during the first live TV debate of the contest


Asked if he was the "continuity candidate" and if that means he is the "no change candidate", Mr Yousaf hit back at Ms Forbes, saying: "If change means lurching to the right, Kate, if it means rolling back on progressive values, that's not the right change".

Mr Yousaf then raised comments made by Ms Forbes, his cabinet colleague, earlier in the campaign when she said she would not have voted for same-sex marriage if she had been an MSP when the legislation passed.

The health secretary claimed "many people, particularly from our LGBTQ community, say they wouldn't vote for independence" as a result of this, adding, "forget persuading No voters, you can't even keep Yes voters."

But Ms Forbes stressed she had made a "solemn and honest pledge when it comes to upholding and defending the right of every Scot".

Each candidate was asked if they would invite their rivals into the newly formed cabinet. Ms Forbes said there was "room for Humza Yousaf" if she won the leadership race but quipped, "maybe not in health".

Areas where all three candidates found common ground included increasing welfare payments for children and hitting out at UK immigration plans.

But they were divided on the Scottish Greens remaining part of the Scottish government.

Ms Regan said she would "review" the power sharing agreement to ensure it was "working for the people of Scotland".

During the debate, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said on Twitter that Ms Regan's claim she had spoken to the leaders of all major pro-independence parties earlier on Tuesday was not true.

Ms Regan later clarified that she left a message and had not had her call returned by the party.

Mr Yousaf described the government deal with Mr Harvie's' party as "vital", while Ms Forbes refused to say categorically the arrangement would remain, adding it would be for the Greens to decide if they were happy with her approach if she won the leadership contest.


Future of the monarchy


Asked if they would keep the monarchy in an independent Scotland, Ms Forbes said there were "bigger issues facing Scotland".

She added: "I am pretty relaxed, I would see us as part of the Commonwealth."

But both Mr Yousaf and Ms Regan declared themselves to be republicans.

Mr Yousaf said he would "keep the monarchy for a period of time" but added "I would hope an independent Scotland would be a republic in the future".

Ms Regan said her preference would be to have an elected head of state for an independent Scotland.

And she said in the "new circumstances" after the death of the Queen last year it might be time for the SNP conference to debate if retaining the monarchy was still the right policy for the party "or whether we should move to a policy of having an elected head of state".

The SNP leadership candidates will take part in an hour-long debate on BBC Scotland next week.

A special edition of the Debate Night programme from Edinburgh will air at 20:00 on Tuesday 14 March on BBC One Scotland.

SNP members can vote for Ms Sturgeon's successor from 13 March.

The winner will be announced on 27 March.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Macron and his wife to provide 'scientific photographic evidence' that she is a real woman
US Tech Giants Pledge Billions to UK AI Infrastructure Following Starmer's Call
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
DeepMind and OpenAI Achieve Gold at ‘Coding Olympics’ in AI Milestone
SEC Allows Public Companies to Block Investors from Class-Action Lawsuits
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Federal Reserve Cuts Rates by Quarter Point and Signals More to Come
Effective and Impressive Generation Z Protest: Images from the Riots in Nepal
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Trump: Cancel quarterly company reports and settle for reporting once every six months
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
US Launches New Pilot Program to Accelerate eVTOL Air Taxi Deployment
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
×